The Seventh-day Adventist Church sponsors Branch Sabbath School as a way to take the gospel to new neighborhoods. Branch Sabbath School can be for children of any age level; it can have a class for adults that meets separately. However, adults are also welcomed into the children’s class and may be used to assist the leader.

WHAT IS BRANCH SABBATH SCHOOL?
A 60-75 minute program, like Sabbath School, that you start in the neighborhood.

WHAT DO YOU TEACH AT BRANCH SABBATH SCHOOL?

1. The first 10 weeks of Branch Sabbath School can be modeled after VBS and use VBS programs and the primary VBS lessons. Teens from your church can form a drama team to do the skits from VBS and also to act out the Bible story. The Friends Forever VBS program will probably work best.
2. The second 10 weeks you can start transitioning toward Sabbath School. Use a program like the Voyager lessons from AdventSource. Everyone does the same lessons. The materials provide student books at two levels: a coloring book for non-readers and a Bible study book for readers.
3. After completing the above two sets of lessons, switch to the regular Sabbath School materials. If you have enough help, you may either separate juniors to their own class or use the primary lessons for everyone.

HOW MANY HELPERS DO YOU NEED?
Having lots of helpers makes Branch Sabbath School more fun for everyone. Try to recruit a teen or adult for every 10 children. Recruit people to specific responsibilities. If you have less help, some may double up on jobs. The following are responsibilities you need people to perform.

• Welcoming children at the door
• Setting up the room and taking it down when done
• Keeping attendance records
• Visitation of families--every helper needs to do some visiting
• Skit/drama leader
• Storyteller
• Song leader
• Coordinator of volunteers
• Program leader
• Branch Sabbath School director
• teacher counselors (they sit with the children, encouraging and facilitating participation)

WHO RUNS A BRANCH SABBATH SCHOOL?

Leadership of a branch Sabbath school is easiest when two couples jointly share the leadership. Other volunteers are more likely to assist if they feel drawn into the support group that these couple form. Don’t overlook earliteens as a pool from which to recruit; give them responsibility. The energy they generate will be well worth the extra training you may need to give them. Non-member adults and teens may also help. Give them lots of support to help them experience success in their responsibilities. Many people have joined the church who stayed because they were asked to help.

HOW LONG DOES BRANCH SABBATH SCHOOL RUN?

Keep a branch Sabbath School going as long as people are coming. A successful branch Sabbath school transitions people to join a regular Sabbath School. You need to decide at the outset:

1. Is your branch Sabbath school an outreach just to children? or to adults as well?
2. What is the objective of your program— to transition people to join your existing church? or as the first step in planting a new church?
3. How long do you want to run the program? Set a goal— to establish a new company in two years (or to prepare people to join Sabbath School with your congregation in one year).  

HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT STARTING A BRANCH SABBATH SCHOOL?

1. Pray a lot and ask God to give you a vision for what Branch Sabbath School can be.
2. Talk the idea up and find someone else who will join you in leading the program.
3. Prayer-walk (or ride) the neighborhoods you are thinking to serve. Ask God to help you decide the location. Include the pastor in your dream; ask him/her to pray about it.
4. Take your plans to the church board. Listen to their counsel. But do not give up the dream if the dream does not take. Repeat steps 1-4 until it does take.
5. Recruit volunteers and purchase the VBS program to start. Meet together every week to pray and begin working out plans and responsibilities. Delegate, delegate, delegate.
6. Make arrangements for a meeting place, set a target date. Get the church board to vote your program and date.
7. Two months before the target date, ask your church to make this project a matter of daily prayer.
8. One month before the target date begin advertising.
9. One week before the target date plan a trial setting-up and a team meeting at the site,. Then go out and invite people personally to come.
10. Pull out all the stops for your first program.

HOW DO YOU AVOID BURNOUT OF HELPERS?

If you have many volunteers and you try to make this fun for everyone, volunteers will stay longer.

• Affirm volunteers.
• Take treats to share when the work is done.
• Take glowing reports back to your church every week, mentioning volunteers by name.
• Require everyone to come every week except when they have to be away, in which case they arrange for a replacement. It will not be difficult for volunteers to cover for each other, after a while.
• Have frequent meetings to ask how things are going and to pray over problems and successes.

HOW DO YOU LEAD CHILDREN TO JESUS?

It is important to know how to lead children into a commitment to Jesus. The little book, Coming to Jesus, Growing in Him is designed to help you lead children to a commitment in 4-5 easy steps.

RESOURCES FOR BRANCH SABBATH SCHOOL

• Friends Forever (or other Vacation Bible School starter kit)
• Voyager neighborhood Bible club program
• Primary Sabbath School quarterlies (order primary materials through your Sabbath School secretary)
• Primary Treasure
• Coming to Jesus, Growing in Him (also available in French and Spanish)