Sunday School intends
to complement the efforts of parents to teach the Holy Scriptures to their
children. Even for a family where they gather daily around a family altar for
Bible reading and devotions, attend Christian day school, and worship weekly in
the Divine Service, God has more blessings to share each time we study His
Word, including Sunday School. Sadly, such families are all too rare. All the more reason that families avail themselves of their congregation’s
Sunday School.
Are there families in your church that don't need Sunday School? (Or who think they don't?)
How do you address that issue?
God bless you as you teach His children His Word.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Monday, September 17, 2012
One Size Does NOT Fit All
How big is your Sunday School? How does its size influence its structure and your choice of curriculum?
Small Sunday Schools
Two-thirds of the congregations of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod report an average worship attendance of less than 125 people. Assuming that Sunday School attendance is likely fifty percent of that figure or less, we're talking about a lot of congregations with less than 50 children age 3 through grade 8 in Sunday School.
The small Sunday School faces significant challenges. Among them is fewer paid staff (a pastor and a part-time secretary?), so little ability to customize curriculum. My guess is that the small church organizes Sunday School along traditional lines and purchases a traditional curriculum, adapting as needed for their local situation. That's good!
Large Sunday Schools
A couple of larger Sunday Schools in large congregations have come to my attention recently. The congregations are significantly larger than average (2500 and 5,000 members; worship attendance reported at more than 1,000 and more than 1700 people respectively). Sunday School statistics are not published but attendance for threes through grade 8 is likely 300 to 500 students.
The large congregation also faces significant challenges. It is more difficult to motivate members to participation beyond the Sunday morning worship service. As a percentage of worship attendance, Sunday School attendance is usually smaller for large congregations. There are more paid staff, however, some of whom have specific responsibility for Sunday School. The Sunday School is often structured along less traditional lines; a large group opening and Bible presentation followed by small group discussion is a frequent pattern. Material may be prepared locally from scratch or heavily customized to meet the specific needs of this one large congregation.
Theology Matters
It is to be hoped that both large Sunday Schools and small ones will give equal attention in their choice of curriculum materials to theological content, especially the faithful teaching of God's Word, Law and Gospel, sin and salvation.
Cross Explorations
CPH now has a curriculum designed for a less traditional Sunday School structure. It will work well in small Sunday Schools and large ones. It adheres to the doctrine expected by confessional Lutheran congregations. I hope our large congregations will check it out! (And our small ones, too.)
Would you describe your Sunday School as large? Small? Somewhere in between?
How does your size influence your structure? Have you made some unique adjustments?
How has your size influenced your choice of curriculum?
Small Sunday Schools
Two-thirds of the congregations of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod report an average worship attendance of less than 125 people. Assuming that Sunday School attendance is likely fifty percent of that figure or less, we're talking about a lot of congregations with less than 50 children age 3 through grade 8 in Sunday School.
The small Sunday School faces significant challenges. Among them is fewer paid staff (a pastor and a part-time secretary?), so little ability to customize curriculum. My guess is that the small church organizes Sunday School along traditional lines and purchases a traditional curriculum, adapting as needed for their local situation. That's good!
Large Sunday Schools
A couple of larger Sunday Schools in large congregations have come to my attention recently. The congregations are significantly larger than average (2500 and 5,000 members; worship attendance reported at more than 1,000 and more than 1700 people respectively). Sunday School statistics are not published but attendance for threes through grade 8 is likely 300 to 500 students.
The large congregation also faces significant challenges. It is more difficult to motivate members to participation beyond the Sunday morning worship service. As a percentage of worship attendance, Sunday School attendance is usually smaller for large congregations. There are more paid staff, however, some of whom have specific responsibility for Sunday School. The Sunday School is often structured along less traditional lines; a large group opening and Bible presentation followed by small group discussion is a frequent pattern. Material may be prepared locally from scratch or heavily customized to meet the specific needs of this one large congregation.
Theology Matters
It is to be hoped that both large Sunday Schools and small ones will give equal attention in their choice of curriculum materials to theological content, especially the faithful teaching of God's Word, Law and Gospel, sin and salvation.
Cross Explorations
CPH now has a curriculum designed for a less traditional Sunday School structure. It will work well in small Sunday Schools and large ones. It adheres to the doctrine expected by confessional Lutheran congregations. I hope our large congregations will check it out! (And our small ones, too.)
Would you describe your Sunday School as large? Small? Somewhere in between?
How does your size influence your structure? Have you made some unique adjustments?
How has your size influenced your choice of curriculum?
Monday, September 10, 2012
How to Prioritize
A Sunday School teacher recently asked a question I often hear: "Why do you provide two hours of materials for a one-hour Sunday School lesson, when I have only thirty minutes in which to teach it?" (Okay, truth, this is not a direct quote, but the gist is there; believe me.)
Some teachers, it seems, feel guilty if they do not cover everything in the lesson. My goal is always to absolve that teacher of guilt.
If your class is small, your students quiet and shy, or your Sunday School "hour" really seventy-five minutes long, you may be looking for that extra material. Or if you can't play that CD, or involve your students in that biblical drama, or risk disturbing nearby classes with that exuberant game, you may be forced to omit several minutes of the original outline. You see the dilemma: the publisher is under pressure to include more than enough material, rather than not enough material, for the broadest possible range of circumstances.
The result? The teacher becomes the final editor. You will have to adapt. And that's a good thing!
I suggest though that you prioritize your lesson choices in a thoughtful manner.
Priority One
Teach the Bible account and key point. Make sure your lesson includes an engaging presentation of the Scripture text. Use the Bible. Help the students find Jesus in the lesson (yes, even in the Old Testament lessons).
Priority Two
It bears repeating: engage the students. Edit the lesson to maximize the students' enjoyment of the Sunday School experience. It is a sin to bore children.
Priority Three
Guide the student to see themselves in the lesson. Luther reminds us that the "Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith." Help the Gospel reach into the lives of each of your students each Sunday.
How long is your Sunday School lesson time?
What are your favorite ways to shorten the lesson outline?
How could your material be more helpful when it comes to adapting the lesson?
God bless you as you teach God's children His Word!
Some teachers, it seems, feel guilty if they do not cover everything in the lesson. My goal is always to absolve that teacher of guilt.
If your class is small, your students quiet and shy, or your Sunday School "hour" really seventy-five minutes long, you may be looking for that extra material. Or if you can't play that CD, or involve your students in that biblical drama, or risk disturbing nearby classes with that exuberant game, you may be forced to omit several minutes of the original outline. You see the dilemma: the publisher is under pressure to include more than enough material, rather than not enough material, for the broadest possible range of circumstances.
The result? The teacher becomes the final editor. You will have to adapt. And that's a good thing!
I suggest though that you prioritize your lesson choices in a thoughtful manner.
Priority One
Teach the Bible account and key point. Make sure your lesson includes an engaging presentation of the Scripture text. Use the Bible. Help the students find Jesus in the lesson (yes, even in the Old Testament lessons).
Priority Two
It bears repeating: engage the students. Edit the lesson to maximize the students' enjoyment of the Sunday School experience. It is a sin to bore children.
Priority Three
Guide the student to see themselves in the lesson. Luther reminds us that the "Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith." Help the Gospel reach into the lives of each of your students each Sunday.
How long is your Sunday School lesson time?
What are your favorite ways to shorten the lesson outline?
How could your material be more helpful when it comes to adapting the lesson?
God bless you as you teach God's children His Word!
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Encouraging Participation
Our Sunday School materials at Concordia Publishing include an e-mail address for any and all questions our customers might have about their Sunday School. I received a request over the weekend for assistance in getting parents to bring/send their children to Sunday School.
I think I will break my response into two parts, (1) what message do you want to send and (2) how do you send the message?
What Message Do You Want to Send?
Do parents believe that soccer or other sports are more important than Sunday School and church? Some Law may certainly be required; Luther's explanation of the Third Commandment is a good place to start.
Do parents complain that their children don't want to go to Sunday School? Encourage them to set a good example through their own attendance. Encourage your church to offer a broad range of Bible studies for adults as well as children.
How would you answer the question, "Why should I send my kids to Sunday School?"
How do you encourage attendance in your congregation?
Thanks for all you do to teach God's children His Word.
I think I will break my response into two parts, (1) what message do you want to send and (2) how do you send the message?
What Message Do You Want to Send?
- Jesus loves children and wants them to come to Him (Matthew 9:14).
- Sunday School is a place where children and their parents meet Jesus every week through the clear proclamation of Law and Gospel, sin and grace. (It will boost the credibility of your message if this is really true about your Sunday School.)
- Children are forming now the habits and attitudes that will guide them throughout life; parents determine a child's attitude about Sunday School through their participation and investment in Sunday School. "As the twig is bent, so grows the tree."
- We never get too much of God's Word; the student who hears God's Word daily in the Lutheran day school or weekly in midweek or confirmation class can still benefit from hearing about God's love on Sunday in the worship service and Sunday School. There is always more to learn.
- From the pulpit. The pastor's support and involvement is crucial.
- Personally. Face to face or at least voice to voice will be ten times more effective than bulk mail or bulletin announcements.
- Frequently. "We tried that once" doesn't cut it. "We did that last week" is still not a great excuse.
- Graciously. You may be able to get a family to Sunday School once or twice through guilt, but the Law is not your best weapon without healthy doses also of the Gospel.
- Through caring, well-equipped and well-prepared teachers.
Do parents believe that soccer or other sports are more important than Sunday School and church? Some Law may certainly be required; Luther's explanation of the Third Commandment is a good place to start.
Do parents complain that their children don't want to go to Sunday School? Encourage them to set a good example through their own attendance. Encourage your church to offer a broad range of Bible studies for adults as well as children.
How would you answer the question, "Why should I send my kids to Sunday School?"
How do you encourage attendance in your congregation?
Thanks for all you do to teach God's children His Word.
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