Christmas Sunday School

For many years I have served as a Minister of Education at churches in Wyoming, Kansas and North Carolina. As a Minister of Education I developed educational programs for all age levels from Preschool to Adults. I found and trained workers to staff these programs.

As a retired minister, I continue in my life’s work, but at a slower pace. One area where I continue to serve is in the Preschool. During my time of service I encouraged everyone to volunteer with Preschoolers once per month during the time of the worship service (we called this “extended session.”) As an example (because I must do as I said) I serve in the Kindergarten class (our Minister of Children finagled a way to get me to serve twice a month), and develop my lesson plans where the curriculum is weak.

I have observed across the years that faith development in children is not automatic and a guide is required both at home and in church to to help children find the right path. I have shared in previous posts how I developed and carried out a lesson plan for the Christmas season each year with my family and in church. During the two weeks of teaching this month I drew upon my plan for Sunday’s lessons.

Last week’s lesson for children, and the journal in the devotional Advent Journeys, was about how the Angel Gabriel met Zechariah at the Altar of Incense in the Temple. My activity as I taught children was to have them lay down on a large sheet of paper with a crayon in each hand in order to draw angel wings snow-angel style. After the wings were drawn my helpers and I made an outline around the child’s body and let them color in the picture. As they colored, we taught the lesson.

This week’s lesson for children and the journal in the devotional Advent Journeys is about Joseph and Mary as they travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem and give birth to a Child. The birth of Jesus is the reason for the Christmas season, so it is with great joy that I look forward to teaching the children in our church tomorrow.

As I thought about what to do (more than just crayons and paper), I decided to give them something that hopefully will last a lifetime: a nativity scene.

In our family we proudly display a nativity scene made of clay by my daughters and myself many years ago. Although rough and misshapen, the set contains many memories, and is hand made. The scene brings back memories of the class, my daughters' childhoods, Christmases of the past and the Christmas message. It is a keepsake which is the springboard to stories and sharing as people visit our home (and as I write this blog).

I decided to give the Kindergarten children in my class a gift. I bought air-dry clay and took it to breakfast this morning, where I practiced (and got it right the first time!) One pinch of clay rolled between my fingers to make the head. Three pinches of clay shaped like a bell to make the body. A coffee stirrer (I will use toothpicks in class) for the arms, and another pinch made the body and head for the baby. I cut small mangers out of pressed wood (looks like hay), and will put it in a box for a stable.

Sunday School in High Definition

Last week I attended the conference "Sunday School in High Definition" at First Baptist Church, Woodstock, Georgia. The meeting was a great time of renewal and retraining. We all need that sometimes.

During the conference we looked at the three things that must happen each and every week in each Sunday School class:
Reach People for Christ
Teach the Bible
Minister to People.

We all understand the task of teaching the Bible to our class. We do this in various ways. Some groups barely scratch the surface. Other groups dive deep, extracting Greek or Hebrew words, doing tense studies and cross references. Other groups teach relationally. Lessons can be taught by lecture, discussion, or with creative methods.

One of our leaders pointed out that Teaching is only part of the class. Sunday School classes are not College Classes, but they are Great Commission communities.

We were encouraged to reach out. There are many in our world who do not know the Gospel. There are many who do not know the name of Christ. We must share the Good News. Long ago Arthur Flake thought a Sunday School was a failure if at least a third of the attendees was not lost. Sunday School is a great place to share the Gospel as we share God's Word. Sunday School is an ideal place for members to invite friends if they fully understand the purpose of Sunday School.

Sunday School is also a community where we serve on another. Care Leaders are enlisted to accomplish this in the class. contacts are made each week to every member of each Sunday School class. If needs are found, the class reaches out and ministers. The Sunday School classes pass ministry needs and prayer requests to the Pastor each week.

Sunday School classes are created with the purpose of Reaching the Lost, Teaching the Bible, and Caring for members. We need to weekly re-commit to these tasks.