G rowing congregations get a larger percentage of their evangelistic church growth through their Bible School. M ost churches in the United States have some kind of Sunday School, Church School, or Bible class program. The publication in 1969 of Elmer Towns' pioneering study, The Ten Largest Sunday Schools, demonstrated the role of these classes in contributing to lasting church growth. Churches differ, however, in approaches taken to such classes.
Differences are especially notable in regard to classes for adults.
The survey included 300 congregations of the Churches of Christ in the United States. A stratified random sample was modified to focus on congregations of the size attended by most of the members. There were 30 growing and 30 declining congregations in each of these five size categories. The purpose of the study was to identify significant differences between the approaches to the Bible School in growing and declining congregations. The following differences were observed.