The Richard Eng Podcast

002 | How to Create a Successful Sunday School Program

Why do so many Sunday School programs struggle? It is usually not because churches picked the wrong curriculum. It is because they started with curriculum before clarifying their vision for discipleship. In this episode of The Richard Eng Podcast, Richard explains how to create a successful Sunday School program by starting with clear ministry goals, a systematic teaching plan, and a multi-year discipleship strategy for kids, students, and adults. Rather than chasing the “perfect curriculum,” churches need to ask what kind of Christians they are trying to form. A strong Sunday School ministry should teach Scripture and doctrine, help believers understand the times, equip parents and teachers, and connect biblical truth to real life. Richard also discusses how churches can evaluate curriculum wisely, build a core-and-electives model for adult Sunday School, avoid nostalgia-driven ministry, train teachers, and lead curriculum changes without letting familiarity override faithfulness.

001 | Why Sunday School Declined—and Why We Need It Again

Sunday School didn’t disappear because Christians stopped needing formation. Over the last few decades, church rhythms have thinned, small groups have often replaced classes, and many believers have grown suspicious of knowledge itself—as if information and transformation are enemies. But Scripture never pits teaching against discipleship. We cannot obey what we do not know, and the church cannot form mature Christians without intentional biblical education. In this episode of The Richard Eng Podcast, Richard explores why Sunday School declined and why the local church needs to recover its teaching ministry for a confused age. This is not about reviving a nostalgic program from the 1950s; it is about reclaiming a necessary function of the church: helping Christians think biblically, live faithfully, and apply the truth of God’s Word in real life, in real community, with real people. More about the North Dakota Bible Conference: bethelfree.com/ndbc