Three Simple Things

I'm a pretty old-fashioned guy. I like calling Sunday School "Sunday School." I think it's not a bad idea for students to gather once a week for age-appropriate Bible study with their same-aged peers. I like Sunday School material with realistic biblical art, not cartoons. And I'm okay with lessons that are fairly traditional. I think every lesson should teach about Jesus with clear Law and Gospel.

But as I look at Sunday School lessons these days, I find myself looking for three simple things (in addition to great Lutheran theology).

• an activity that gets the students up out of their seats.
• an activity that gets the students talking to one another.
• an activity that lets the students express their faith in words or actions.

It's not rocket science. Activities like these will improve student attitudes and behavior. They will grow as God's children.

What do you look for in the lessons you teach?

God bless you as you teach His children His Word!

How Well Do You Know the Bible?

Pretty well, I thought. Then I dipped into the Lutheran Bible Companion. I still have a lot to learn.

This two-volume set will help me. It is packed with supplementary and contextual information about every book of the Bible. Check it out. You may catch it on sale.

God bless you as you teach His children His Word!

Is There Value in Sunday School?

Suppose your congregation was a perfect congregation.

• Your members attend church every Sunday.
• Your pastor preaches excellent sermons that reach old and young people equally well.
• Your congregation supports a day school in which all eligible children are enrolled.
• Your parents are comfortable in their roles as the primary influencers of their children's spiritual life and growth and engage in daily family devotions and faith conversations with their children.
• Young and old members alike are avid readers of the Bible and do so daily.

Would there be any point in having a Sunday School?

I would argue that even in that amazing congregation, Sunday School would be a valuable opportunity for all families. It would provide:

• age-appropriate interaction and instruction for each child
• comprehensive coverage of the entire scope of the salvation narrative
• a place to build relationships with Christian peers
• outreach opportunities for friends and others from the community
• another chance to hear the blessed Gospel

Of course, your congregation and my congregation fall woefully short of that perfect standard. Sunday School then helps fill the gaps. It is surely worth every moment, and every penny, we invest in it.

God bless you as you provide opportunities for His children to study His Word!

What Is Lent?

Lent begins February 18 with Ash Wednesday.

Once again, Concordia Publishing House is observing this new Church Year season by offering a high quality video you can use to introduce Lent to your class or your congregation.

Check out the video and some additional background on this penitential season on the CPH blog.

God bless you as you teach His children His Word.

Are You Ready for Spring?

Imagine a beautiful spring day! There are lots of them coming! Why will parents and children spend their time with you each Sunday in the weeks ahead in Sunday School? What will you provide that soccer, tee-ball, weekends at the lake, or sleeping in cannot provide? The opportunity to see Jesus, to hear more about forgiveness of sins and new life in His name!

The lessons you’ll teach from Concordia’s two Sunday School options---Growing in Christ and Cross Explorations---will reveal the power, authority, mercy, and love of our Savior. Your students will watch Him defend the sanctity of the temple, commend the generosity of a widow, die and rise again, be preached throughout the known world, and take His rightful place again on the throne of heaven. These are faith experiences that the world cannot provide. You have an exciting season ahead!

It is not always easy for families to see it that way, though. As you teach in the weeks ahead . . .

• persistently invite every eligible student to join you in Sunday School.
• diligently prepare each lesson to be an enjoyable and rewarding experience.
• warmly welcome each student each week by name and thank them for coming.
• earnestly pray that God will bless each student.  

Thanks for teaching God’s children His Word!