As a stake Sunday School presidency, you serve under the direction of the stake presidency. The Church Handbook of Instructions describes your responsibilities as follows:

• Serve as a resource to ward Sunday School presidencies. Instruct and advise individual presidencies as requested by the ward or directed by the stake presidency. Subjects for instruction could include how to improve teaching and activation efforts.
• Occasionally visit each Sunday School to give support and ensure that it is functioning properly. Coordinate these visits with the ward Sunday School presidency.
• Hold regular presidency meetings. Also, meet as needed with a counselor in the stake presidency and the high council adviser.
• The stake Sunday School president serves on the stake council.
  (See Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2: Priesthood and Auxiliary Leaders [1998], 241.)

As you work as a stake Sunday School presidency to fulfill your responsibilities, you may find the following suggestions useful.

1. Request permission from the stake presidency to orient and train all newly called ward Sunday School presidencies. You may also want to consider discussing with the stake presidency the possibility of meeting with those presidencies who were called in the past but who have not had the opportunity of being oriented. (See Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2, 241.)

Examples of materials to be provided to new ward Sunday School leaders include:

• "Sunday School," section 6 of the Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2
• "Gospel Teaching and Leadership," section 16 of the Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2
• Teaching, No Greater Call
• A list of the stake Sunday School presidency’s addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses
• The times and places of meetings relative to their callings

For further information on orientation meetings, view "Suggestions for an Orientation Meeting for Newly Called Teachers."

2. Hold regular Sunday School presidency meetings. Holding regular presidency meetings is one of the most effective means by which a Sunday School presidency can ensure that the work of the Sunday School moves forward. In addition to reviewing business items and assignments, take time at presidency meetings to “teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom” (D&C 88:77). The spirit that comes from teaching one another will influence all that you do and will be felt by those you lead. (See Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2, 243.)

3. Develop and use an agenda in your presidency meetings. An agenda is a helpful tool for conducting effective presidency meetings. A sample agenda is provided below:

AGENDA FOR PRESIDENCY MEETING

Date:
Presiding: (name)
Conducting: (name)

1. Opening prayer: (name)
2. Spiritual thought and/or leadership training: (name)
   • A copy of the spiritual thought could be placed here. Doing so will enable you and your counselors to take away from the meeting a quote from the Brethren or a scripture that can be used in other training or at home. This could also be done with the leadership training.
3. Review of the minutes from the previous meeting.
4. Calendaring items:
5. Discussion of how to fulfill Sunday School responsibilities (may include making announcements, reviewing teacher improvement, orienting new teachers, counseling with and providing ongoing support to each teacher, discussing how to help meet the needs of individual members and gospel teachers, discussing the meetinghouse library, planning for upcoming activities, reporting on assignments, and making new assignments)
6. Closing prayer: (name)

All meetings, including presidency meetings, should be planned and conducted by the respective leaders “as they are led by the Holy Ghost, according to the commandments and revelations of God” (D&C 20:45; see also Moroni 6:9; D&C 46:2). (See Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2, 314.)

4. Visit ward Sunday Schools. Stake Sunday School presidencies may, with the stake presidency’s approval, visit each ward Sunday School to give support and ensure that it is functioning properly. These visits should always be coordinated with the respective ward Sunday School presidencies. (See Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2, 241.)

5. Meet regularly with a member of the stake presidency and high council adviser. These meetings are an excellent time both to receive instruction from those who preside and to share your vision and recommendations of how the gospel can be more effectively be learned and taught in the stake and the respective wards. (See Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2, 241.)

Helps for Teachers: To view a collection of ideas and suggestions designed to help, inspire, and motivate gospel teachers throughout the Church to improve the quality of teaching in classrooms and at home, visit "Helps for Teachers."