Lessons (for Teachers)

If you teach a class -- Sunday school, kids ministry, youth, an adult class, or any other regular teaching role -- the Member Portal includes a Lesson Library to help you prepare. You can browse the lessons your church has on file, attach a specific lesson to a date you are scheduled to teach, create a new lesson, or propose a draft for a leader to review.

This page only appears for members who are scheduled in a teaching role. If you teach but do not see it, ask your team leader or church office to confirm your role.

See also: The Team Portal docs in knowledge-base/team-portal/ (especially 03-viewing-lessons.md) cover the same content from a slightly different angle for team-portal users.

Opening the Lesson Library

1. Log in to the Member Portal.
2. Click Lessons in the sidebar navigation.

The library shows lessons your church has published, organized by class, age group, or series. Each lesson card shows:

• The lesson title
• The class or age group it was written for
• The Bible passage or main theme
• Any tags (Easter, Advent, character study, etc.)

Viewing a Lesson

Click any lesson to open its full detail page. You will see:

• Lesson objectives or "big idea"
• Bible passage and key verses
• Teaching outline / notes
• Activities or discussion questions
• Files (handouts, slide decks, audio)
• The author and last update date

Use this view as your prep document the night before, or print it from your browser if you prefer paper.

Assigning a Lesson to a Schedule

When you are on the schedule to teach, you can attach the specific lesson you plan to use. This makes it visible to substitutes, parents, and your team leader -- so everyone knows what is being taught.

Picking a lesson from the library

1. Open My Schedule (see 10-volunteer-scheduling.md) and find the upcoming session.
2. Click Select Lesson (or Choose Lesson) on that session.
3. The Lesson Library opens in selection mode. Browse or search for the lesson you want.
4. Click Assign next to the lesson.
5. The schedule entry now shows the assigned lesson title, with a link to the lesson's detail page.

Changing your mind

To swap an assigned lesson for a different one, return to the schedule entry, click the assigned lesson, and choose Replace Lesson -- pick a new one from the library.

Creating a Lesson for a Specific Schedule

If the lesson you want to teach is not yet in the library, you can create it on the spot and attach it to the session at the same time.

1. From your schedule, click Create Lesson on the session you are preparing.
2. Fill in the lesson form:
   • Title (required)
   • Bible passage / theme
   • Objectives or main idea
   • Teaching outline
   • Activities or discussion questions
   • Attachments (optional handouts, slides, audio)
3. Click Save.

The lesson is created and assigned to that schedule entry in one step. Depending on how your church has configured the system, the new lesson may go straight into the public library, or it may be saved as a draft until a leader reviews it.

Proposing a Lesson for Review

If your church requires lesson review (for doctrinal alignment, age-appropriateness, or quality control), use Propose Lesson instead of Create Lesson.

1. From your schedule, click Propose Lesson on the session.
2. Fill in the same lesson fields as above.
3. Click Submit Proposal.

A team leader or church administrator is notified that a new lesson is awaiting review. You will receive a notification when:

• The lesson is approved -- it becomes a regular lesson in the library and stays attached to your session.
• The lesson is declined or sent back for changes -- you will get notes from the reviewer and can edit and resubmit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I have to assign a lesson every time I teach? A: It is not strictly required, but it is strongly recommended. Assigning a lesson:

• Helps any sub who steps in last-minute
• Lets parents see what was taught
• Builds a teaching history your team can reference next year

Q: Can I edit a lesson someone else created? A: Editing rules depend on your church's setup. Most churches let lesson authors edit their own lessons; team leaders and admins can usually edit anyone's. If you cannot edit a lesson and need to, contact your team leader.

Q: My proposed lesson has been pending review for a while. What can I do? A: Send a quick message to your team leader through the portal Messages feature (see 09-messages.md) so they know it is waiting. They may have missed the notification.

Q: Can a lesson be reused for multiple sessions? A: Yes. The same lesson in the library can be assigned to many different schedule entries -- great for series that span multiple weeks or for similar age groups.