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 helps you prepare. You can pick a lesson from the ones your church has on file for a date you are scheduled to teach, create a new lesson, and open the lesson's materials.
These tools appear for members who are scheduled to teach. If you teach but do not see them, ask your team leader or church office to confirm your role.
See also: Viewing and Managing Lessons and Teacher Portal cover the same tools from a slightly different angle.
Finding Your Lessons
There is no standalone Lessons link in the portal sidebar. You reach lessons through your teaching schedule.
- Log in to the Member Portal.
- Open My Schedule and find a date you are scheduled to teach (it has a Teaching label).
- If a lesson is already assigned, click its name to open it. If not, click Add Lesson.
Picking a Lesson
- On My Schedule, click Add Lesson on the date you're teaching.
- The Select a Lesson page opens with the Available Lessons your church has approved. Use Search lessons... to narrow the list; click a lesson to preview it.
- Click Select Lesson (or Select This Lesson in the preview).
- The date on My Schedule now shows the lesson's name, linking to the lesson.
If the lesson you need isn't in the list, create your own (below) or ask your team leader.
Creating a Lesson
If the lesson you want to teach is not yet on file, you can create it and attach it to your date at the same time, when your church allows teachers to create lessons.
- On Select a Lesson, choose Create Your Own Lesson.
- Fill in the lesson form: Lesson Title, Scripture Reference, Description, Learning Objectives, Supplies Needed, Duration (minutes), Age Group, and any files or links under Materials & Resources.
- Click Create & Assign Lesson.
"Your lesson will be submitted for review by an admin before appearing in the lesson library for others to use." It shows as Pending Review until an admin approves it, and it is already attached to your date.
Viewing a Lesson
Click a lesson to open it. You will see:
- The description, learning objectives, and supplies needed
- The scripture reference, duration, and age group
- Materials & Resources, with files to download and links to open
From the lesson page you can also Add a Task (a personal reminder for your teaching day), Request Supplies, or say you Need a substitute?. See Teacher Portal.
Use this page as your prep document the night before, or print it from your browser if you prefer paper.
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 change the lesson after I've picked one? A: Ask your team leader or church office. They can change the lesson on the class session.
Q: My new lesson has been pending review for a while. What can I do? A: Send a quick message to your team leader through Messages (see Messages) so they know it is waiting.
Q: Can a lesson be reused for multiple sessions? A: Yes. The same lesson can be assigned to many different dates. This is useful for series that span multiple weeks or for similar age groups.