Teach Both . . .

We teach two basic doctrines in every Sunday School lesson, because God's teaches these two basic doctrines throughout the Bible, the Scriptures God has given us for our instruction and salvation.

Sin and grace. Law and Gospel.

A lesson that teaches only law can be curiously difficult to identify at times. It is the lesson that holds up Abraham and David and Peter as sterling examples of good people, people we should model our lives after because of their behavior instead of their faith in Christ. It is the lesson that leaves us uncertain of our salvation because we may not have learned enough, or done enough, or loved enough.

A lesson that teaches only Gospel can also sneak in. It is the lesson that lets us wallow in our self-righteousness, confident in God's love because we are better than other sinners in the world, or in our school, or in our class, when our confidence in God's love should result from faith in His Son, in the knowledge that, though we are the chief of sinners, God loves us because of His action, the sacrifice of His Son, not our action.

Sin and grace; law and Gospel. Each time you teach, teach both.

God bless you as you teach His children His Word!

Another Once-a-Year Sunday School Building Task

Here's another step you should take to build up your Sunday School, and other schools as well.

Once a year, you should take a close look at the Sunday School material offered by your denomination's publisher.

• If you don't use their material already, you should give them an opportunity to win you over.
• If you already use material from your publisher, you should check out other material that you don't currently use, and you should look closely at the material you do use, asking how this material could be improved to serve you even better.
• In either case, you should write your evaluative comments into a letter or e-mail and send it to the publisher.

Why should you do this?

• Your Sunday School will grow through the new resources you discover, the discussions you have about what's important in your material, and the conviction that your curriculum is the best you can find.
• Your publisher is part of your church family. They are your friends. They deserve your support if you are able to give it, and they deserve your help in improving their product.
• Things change. The material you checked out in 2006 or even last year has certainly changed, hopefully for the better, based in no small part on feedback just like what you will provide.
• If the publisher is missing the mark, they deserve an opportunity to improve.
• You will almost certainly see something great that you hadn't noticed before.
• The material they publish will teach the theology that your church believes and will avoid the errors your church body seeks to avoid.
• The improvements you suggest will help your congregation. They will also help hundreds of other congregations who have the same needs.

Will they listen?

• If your church publisher is Concordia Publishing House, they will!
• Your feedback will be acknowledged within twenty-four hours.
• Your suggestions will become part of our "Voice of the Customer" database, used to guide product development.
• While not every idea can be implemented immediately, every idea has impact.

CPH has samples of both Growing in Christ and Cross Explorations available through our Web site, cph.org/sundayschool. If you want an even boarder look, a full set of samples can be sent to you for examination. We want your business; even more, we want your feedback. Click the envelop icon on our Web page, write to sundayschool@cph.org, or write to me: tom.nummela@cph.org.

God bless you as you teach His children His Word!

How Is Your Sunday School?

Is it dead?
About twenty percent of the congregations in our church body report having no Sunday School at all.

Is it small?
About twenty percent of the congregations in our church body report having 1 to 25 students in Sunday School.

Is it average?
About half of our Sunday Schools have 100 students or less.

Is it worthwhile?
God has promised to bless His Word wherever it is taught; He is at work blessing your Sunday School.

One not-quite-simple step each congregation should every year is to contact every family with children of Sunday School age with an invitation to Sunday School. By mail is okay; by phone or in person is even better. If you visit, take along an extra leaflet from the appropriate grade levels. Show how the Gospel is central to every lesson.

Three other important ways to support your Sunday School:

1. Hold it at a separate hour from worship; don't place these two vital ministries of your congregation in competition.
2. Offer visit-friendly adult Bible studies at the same time as Sunday School; not all your parents will be willing to volunteer in the Sunday School all the time.
3. Maintain contact with each family from the time of Baptism until the time you begin Sunday School with a Cradle/Nursery Roll program; let them know that you care about their children and are looking forward to seeing them in Sunday School when the time is right.

God bless you as you teach His children His Word!

Have you set your VBS dates yet?

No, it's not too early. The best time to set and announce your VBS dates for next summer would have been during your VBS this past summer. Kids and adults are excited about the experience; get them to put it on their family calendars for next year. The benefits may be small but tangible. You'll have a nucleus of attendees and volunteers who will be planning their summer around those dates, guaranteeing fewer scheduling conflicts.

Have a great VBS and know that God blesses you as you teach His children His Word.

CPH's VBS for 2014 is "Gangway to Galilee!" You can get the flavor here.