The document outlines the four emphases of Sabbath School: faith emphasis, fellowship emphasis, community emphasis, and world emphasis. It aims to win, hold, and train people for Jesus Christ through Bible study, fellowship, outreach, and supporting missions. The superintendent oversees the Sabbath School by developing leadership, holding council meetings, promoting evangelism, and ensuring the four objectives are carried out. Bible study focuses on learning and transformation, not just information. The community and world emphases involve relieving the poor, caring for the sick, and teaching others about Jesus locally and globally.

1. The Four Emphases
of Sabbath School

2. The Sabbath school was developed to teach
the gospel of Jesus Christ in response to the
command of Jesus, and in the setting of the
three angels’ messages. In loyalty to this
original purpose the Sabbath school continues
to communicate the good news with the
objective to win, hold, and train for Jesus
Christ, men and women, youth, boys and
girls, in all the world. This objective is carried
forward through the following four areas:
faith emphasis, fellowship emphasis,
community emphasis, and world emphasis”
(Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia, p. 1258).

3. Duties and responsibilities
 It is the duty of the Sabbath School
superintendent to administer the entire
Sabbath School by developing leadership,
chairing the Sabbath School Council, building
a soul-winning Sabbath School, and recruiting
volunteers.
 If there are no assistants, the general
superintendent will also care for the duties of
the assistant superintendents of the adult
Sabbath School.

4. Fellowship
Outreach
Bible Study
Mission
The Four Emphases
of Sabbath School

5. Developing Leadership
 Supervises all the leaders of the Sabbath School and
encourages them to perform their duties cheerfully and
effectively.
 Arranges for the training, support, and resources needed for
the effective leadership in all areas of the Sabbath School.
(a) Helps leaders prepare budgets to present to SS Council.
(b) Determines needs for equipment and supplies in each
division and helps them get the necessities.
(c) Encourages leaders and teachers to attend appropriate
training events.

6.  Checks with Sabbath School secretary on the
adequacy of records and the accuracy and
promptness of quarterly reports to the conference
Sabbath School director.
 Promotes the development of an adequate
collection of Sabbath School books, videos and other
materials for the church library.
 Be on hand early Sabbath morning to coordinate
activities and answer questions.
 Work closely with the pastor in the planning of
training events, community outreach, and special
programs.

7. Chairing the Sabbath School Council
 Call monthly meetings of the Sabbath School Council.
 Call quarterly planning sessions where future plans for
all divisions will be coordinated.
 Call a yearly planning session soon after the election of
officers and before the new year begins. Outline events
for the year.
 Prepare agenda for all council meetings
 Represent Sabbath School interests of the Church
Board
 Publicize Sabbath School Council plans and activities.

8. Building a Soul-Winning Sabbath School
 Implement the four Sabbath School objectives:
1. Promote Bible study and effective class teaching
2. Promote Christian fellowship
3. Encourage community outreach activities
4. Cultivate support for world missions
 Plan with the assistant superintendent for evangelism
in promoting Branch Sabbath Schools, Community
Friends’ Day, Friendship evangelism, and class
outreach.

9.  Plan with the assistant superintendent for the
reclaiming of inactive members and in
keeping the Sabbath School membership list
up to date.
 Plan with the world missions coordinator for
a strong program of mission education in all
divisions.
 Plan with the hospitality coordinator for an
effective program of caring for visitors.

10.  Plan with the adult division leader for growth. If a
Sabbath School wants to grow, it should add one new
class per year for every 100 members. These might
be for special interest groups such as young adults,
singles, women, cradle roll parents, new members,
prospective members, or other special interests.
 Encourage activities outside of Sabbath School time,
such as fellowship meals, picnics, nature walks, and
other social activities.
 Make sure the extension division is functioning
properly.

11. “Not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together, as the manner of
some is; but exhorting one another:
and so much the more, as ye see the
day approaching” (Heb. 10:25, NKJV).
Fellowship

12. Teaching
Admonishing
Exhorting
+
Fellowship
Fellowship

13. Outreach
There is need of coming close to the people
by personal effort. If less time were given to
sermonizing, and more time were spent in
personal ministry, greater results would be
seen. The poor are to be relieved, the sick
cared for, the sorrowing and bereaved
comforted, the ignorant instructed, the
inexperienced counseled. We are to weep with
those that weep, and rejoice with those that
rejoice” (Counsels on Diet and Foods, p. 458).

14. “There is no such thing as
getting through with the lesson”
(Counsels on Sabbath School Work, p. 116).
Bible Study

15. Bible Study
= +

16. “It is necessary to exercise
more than reason to come
to a true knowledge of
God”
(Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1003.
Bible Study

17. Bible Study
Why do we neglect the affective
aspects of learning?
1. You can discuss a question or issue without
commitment.
2. There is a discomfort with any kind of emotion in
our modernist subculture.
3. With strong emphasis on doctrine, it’s easy to
conclude that truth is solely intellective. We get
caught up in an atmosphere of proof, debate, facts,
etc.

18. Bible Study
Information
Transformation
i

19. Bible Study
Resources for Teachers

20. Bible Study

21. Bible Study

22. Bible Study

23. Bible Study

24. Bible Study

25. Bible Study

26. Bible Study

27. Bible Study

28. Mission

29. “ ‘Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo,
I am with you alway, even unto the end of
the world’ ” (Matt. 28:19, 20, KJV).
Mission

30. “He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets;
and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and
teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for
the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the
body of Christ” (Eph. 4:11, 12, KJV).
Mission

31. Mission
“I saw another angel fly in the midst of
heaven, having the everlasting gospel to
preach unto them that dwell on the earth,
and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue,
and people” (Rev. 14:6, KJV).

32. Mission

300 Christians

175 Muslims

128 Hindus

55 Buddhists

47 Animists

4 Jews

81 other religions

210 atheist or no religion

33. Christian
Other
Mission

34. Mission

35. Mission

36. Sabbath School
Resources