Is Confirmation Christian Education?

Or is it something else? In the Bible, it is not really mentioned. In the Church, we call it a "rite." And in most congregations, it is---among other things---a time when young people are received into a new level of membership in the congregation. The rite includes a public confession of faith, agreement with a body of doctrine, and a promise to behave in specific ways as a child of God. And from the first years of the Christian Church, confirmation has been preceded by thorough instruction, Christian education.

It strikes me that confirmation has both a cognitive aspect and an affective aspect. We don't, can't, measure faith, but the young people whom we confirm need to be able to stand their ground in an increasingly hostile world. Confirming those who lack a strong Christian-Lutheran worldview---or who have no interest in life-long participation in the Church's Word and Sacrament ministry---may not serve your church or the Church well.

So what will a church or pastor do if one or more prospective confirmands seem cognitively unprepared for confirmation? (Let me acknowledge, though, that late April is not a great time to be asking this question. Most reasonable alternatives will require advance thought, discussion, and "corporate approval" [that is, approval by "the body," the church].) You could simply not allow participation in the rite, but alienating families and kids is not a great option. Is there a win-win?

Here's what I would probably work for:

• Acknowledgement that the "minimum standard" for confirmation could be very low, as it is when we confirm those with certain disabilities and cognitive limitations.
• Understanding that the promises one makes in the rite of confirmation should not be made falsely or lightly, but rather that they can be made honestly and eagerly. Even confirmands who demonstrate excellent cognitive understanding of the Small Catechism should not be confirmed on that basis alone.
• A decision that, if public questioning will not be a positive, helpful experience, seek the church's permission to skip it or alter the process---even in a congregation where this has been a long-standing practice.
• Commitments by family and young people who seem cognitively unprepared to continue in instruction after confirmation. Accept that this may be a lost cause, but publicly affirm that it is an expectation of all confirmed church members, as they promise during the rite to "hear the Word of God" and "live according to [it]."

Confirmation instruction is indeed Christian education. It is for many the epitome of their instruction in the Christian faith.

God bless you as you teach His children, and these young people, His Word!

The Value of Pictures

(Thanks to my friend and colleague, Ed Grube, for including a January 18, 2014, blog post from FreeBibleImages.com in his weekly tips for parish educators. The post provides some helpful tips and sparked my own thinking on the value of pictures in the Christian education process.)

Some of those who read this blog may be aware that Concordia Publishing House invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in the past decade on new biblical art for use in our Sunday School curriculum. The resulting paintings are a rich library of authentic biblical images. The Bible accounts they illustrate were studied carefully for clues about the settings and contexts for each account. The details included in the art were carefully researched to be appropriate and likely. The artists were chosen based on their ability to convey the culture and people of the Bible well. And the images were reviewed through our in-house doctrinal review process for theological accuracy. The results are often stunning.

These paintings are truly worth studying in class, exploring the details and nuances that will inform the students' understanding of the biblical text. The setting and culture of the Bible is unfamiliar for many students; pictures are a simple way to bridge the gap, The pictures can be used in a variety of ways in the lesson.

Before, During, and After 

Pictures can be used before the presentation of the Bible account in the lesson as a kind of formative assessment (a pretest of sorts).

• Study this picture and tell what you remember or discover about the Bible account.
• Who was present? 
• What happened before the moment depicted in this picture?
• What happened after?

They can also be used as a hook to draw the students in to the Bible account.

• Why do you think these people are smiling or angry?
• What do you think will happen?

During the presentation of the Bible story, pictures can be used to unpack the cultural and practical details of the account.

• Who are these men wearing fancy clothes?
• Why are they walking?
• Where is this taking place?

After the Bible account has been presented and discussed, pictures can be used to review the lesson (another formative assessment). Let the students use the picture to tell the story again. Use this "before, during, and after" strategy for that review.

• What happened before the moment of this picture?
• What is happening here according to the Bible test?
• What happened after this picture?

Why and How?

The process of Christian education, all education really, is taking students from where they are in their understanding of the Bible's message, providing experiences and information that add to their understanding, and deepening their knowledge of God's Word. Pictures provide a simple way to provide new information and experience. What the children discover as they study and hear about a picture gets added to what they already know to build knowledge.

A good picture, then, is always worth studying. Encourage children to look both at the big picture, the event that is taking place, and at the details, the small things that add meaning. This kind of study takes time. Make sure that the students can all see the picture well enough and long enough to absorb the details. This is why the biblical art is always prominent on our leaflets, so each student can see and learn. If you are using posters, display at eye level and encourage the students to stand close enough to see the details, even if it means getting them up out of their seats. If you are showing pictures from a picture book display the pictures fully (turning so all students can see them) and move it very slowly (slower even than you think is possibly necessary) so that students catch the details.

A good picture is truly worth a thousand words!

God bless you as you teach His children His Word — through pictures!

What Is Sunday School For?

How's that for a basic question? How would you answer? The answer you give, and the answers the members of your congregation give, to that question will say a lot about the philosophy behind your entire Christian education ministry.

I can think of three significant purposes for Sunday School.

Evangelization
The Sunday School is, first and foremost, a weekly opportunity to share the "evangel" (Greek for "good news") about Jesus Christ with adults and children. It is a vital message for Christians and non-Christians alike. If the Good News is not shared, if the material used teaches moralism or works righteous or only law, you are wasting everyone's time and doing more harm than good.

Education
It is not without reason that we call is "Christian education." The more we know about the Bible's message, and the better we understand it, the more our faith is nurtured and our vocation encouraged. Biblical literacy is a great defense against false doctrine and spiritual ruin.

Socialization
For children, just as for adults, the habits of weekly attendance at worship and Bible study and daily devotion and prayer are encouraged through the social and service connections we find with other congregation members. Children who know and enjoy being with their Sunday School class mates will attend more frequently, and even urge their parents to take them to church. Studies reveal that member who have at least five points of connection in the congregation will be more active and contribute more time and treasure to its welfare.

What other purposes come to mind for Sunday School?

Sunday School is not the only place that these purposes can be achieved. The family has a "first line" responsibility for nurturing children in the faith, teaching the Holy Scriptures, and bringing children to worship. But nearly every family I've encountered looks to the Church for support and assistance in these tasks.

God bless you are you teach His children His Word!

Is Sunday School Necessary in Your Congregation?

• Not if all families in your congregation are fulfilling their vocations and living as God's children twenty-four seven.
• Not if your children are continuing as lifelong Christians through their teenage and young adult lives, attending the Divine Service regularly and immersing themselves in God's Word.
• Not if the children in your congregation are immune to the temptations of the devil, the world, and their own sinful flesh.
• Not if your students never encounter a skewed teaching that distorts the Gospel and proclaims instead a need to earn salvation through personal effort.
• Not if your students are already biblically literate and knowledgeable about the doctrines of the Lutheran Church.
• Not if your pastor's sermons are equally helpful to children and adults.
• Not if your church never has visitors who are eager to learn more about Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior from sin.
• Not if there are other programs of Christian education that are more convenient for and utilized by all the families of your congregation.

For congregations that are not quite there yet, Sunday School remains a time-tested opportunity for children, youth, and adults to study God's Word using age-appropriate materials that are centered on Christ.

God bless you teach His children His Word!

Who Is Most Important to Sunday School Health? Children or Parents?

Who do you focus on to promote Sunday School health? Children or parents?

This a long-standing question, much like "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?"

Lots of factors favor the parents as having the key role.

• It is self-evident that most students rely on their parents in order to participate in Sunday School.
• Parents set a powerful example for their children when they are active in adult Bible study while the children are in Sunday School.
• Parents, at least in theory, have the power to enforce an "our family goes to Sunday School every Sunday" rule.

In practice, I observe many parents abdicating their responsibility for leadership in this area. They go to great lengths to get their children into activities that compete with Sunday School for precious weekend time. They let their children choose whether to attend Sunday School or not. They seem always ready to accept at face value their child's claim that Sunday School is boring and is not fun.

Each Sunday brings proof that "the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

One possible response is to accept as status quo that children are now in the power position. Our goal then becomes one of marketing to the children, or marketing to the parents' desire to please their children. That seems to me to be a losing battle. Much effort will be expended in that which is not at the heart of the Sunday School experience.

Another possible response is to focus again on why we have Sunday School in the first place. Sunday School exists to help parents fulfill their goal of teaching the Christian faith to their children. We provide an experience in God's Word that the Sunday morning tournament game, the restaurant breakfast, or the extra hour of sleep cannot provide. The Sunday School's unique "product," the benefit that only God's Word can provide, is the Gospel, the good news of forgiveness, life, and salvation. God promises that His Word will accomplish the purpose for which He sends it (Isaiah 55:11).

God bless you are to teach His children that Word!

Sunday School and the Family

The Bible assigns parents the responsibility for the spiritual nurture of their children (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Ephesians 6:4). I can envision a world where parents taught God's Word to their children from their earliest days with such dedication and consistency that Sunday School lessons were unnecessary. That's not the world I see, however.

Instead, I find that families today benefit from age-appropriate Christian education for their children. Call me old-fashioned, but I suspect that the tradition of "graded" (that is "separated into grades") Sunday School classes and intergenerational (all ages together) worship that has served our church body for a century or more did not come about by accident. It is a good thing.

A speaker at the recent conference of the National Association of [LCMS] DCEs applauded the "new" pattern in a large SoCal non-denominational megachurch of once a quarter having all age groups set aside their age-segregated worship in order to worship together. (I was disappointed that she didn't know her audience better.) And I've seen congregations, and at one time served one, where at least occasionally all ages would join together for intergenerational Sunday School experiences.

I think intergenerational Sunday School lessons can be wonderful, but I know they take a lot of work; they are not very common; and I don't get very many requests for material to serve that model. I think the traditional Sunday School has relevance and purpose.

But I would encourage you to think about how your church supports families in their role as the primary teachers of the faith.

What resources do you provide so that parents can do their job well? (Such as the Story Bible or My Devotions)

How clearly do you articulate the expectation that parents will teach their children about the Christian faith at home?

What training do you provide to assist parents in this responsibility? What more could you do?

God's blessings as you teach parents to teach God's Word to His children!

Immanuel, God with Us

On this Eighth Day of Christmas, it's worth remembering that God is still Immanuel, "God with us."

Yes, He is with us "in the broad sense," a spiritual/Spiritual sense suggested by Luke 1:28 or perhaps Matthew 28:20.

But He is more specifically with us "in the narrow sense," in the Means of Grace, in the Word He has given us, the Holy Scriptures and the "Word made flesh," and in the Sacrament of the Altar where Jesus is truly present in the bread and wine.

We (and the children we teach) cannot see or touch the Spirit or the spiritual Jesus, but we can hold the Word in our hands as we teach, knowing that it comes from God Himself. We taste and see the elements of the Lord's Supper knowing that by God's Word "this is My body . . . blood."

Jesus is "God with us" in Word and Sacrament, in each Divine Service, in each Sunday School lesson. That's a powerful promise from Immanuel!

God's blessings this year as you teach God's children His Word.

Why Must We Talk about Sin?

I recently exchanged some e-mail messages with a parent who was concerned about the content of some material we publish here at Concordia Publishing House. The parent was upset that for several times in a row, we had chosen to address frankly with the target audience of the resource the issue of sin in our lives. Why did we have to keep bringing up this dreary, depressing topic? Children need to hear the Gospel, to hear about God's love!

I don't believe I got anywhere with this customer. What was wanted was not possible while remaining true to our Lutheran beliefs and what the Scriptures teach us about sin and grace.

Teaching the Gospel without first teaching the Law is ineffective, even spiritually dangerous. The Gospel message will be treated lightly ("God loves me; that's nice.") or even ignored ("That's probably fine for others, but I don't really need that right now."). Until the sinner (and the Bible is clear, that is all of us) is convicted of the sin and fully aware of the consequences of sin (God's wrath and eternal death), the promises of forgiveness, life, and salvation through the work of Jesus our Savior will have no sweetness. They will literally fall on deaf ears.

The goal of Christian education would seem to be making both the Law and Gospel as personal as possible for each student. Not just "Peter sinned" but "I sinned." Not just "God loves the world" but "God loves me and gave His Son Jesus for me."

Teach the Law each week. Find it in the Scripture text and in your own life and the lives of your student. Then teach the Gospel and apply it fully and richly. Make each lesson the cause of celebration. "Rejoice with me! That which was lost has been found!"

Callahan's Third Key Applied to Sunday School

A few weeks ago, I began reviewing (in between other posts), Kennon Callahan's Twelve Keys to an Effective Church, and applying them to Sunday School. These keys, taken together, provide a great tool for renewed effort toward excellence.

Callahan's Third Key is "corporate, dynamic worship" (his word order and punctuation, not mine). Worship is a primary activity for the Church; it plays a lesser role within the 60 to 75 minutes most congregation's have for Sunday School. And the connection between Sunday School and worship is extremely important as well. Let's look briefly at each.

The Congregation's Worship
The vitality of the congregation's worship affects the health and growth of the congregation and indirectly the health and growth of the Sunday School as well, especially when a worshiping congregation that welcomes and involves children in the Divine Service. You can read more about my thoughts in a previous post by clicking here.

Worship in the Sunday School
Worship plays two important roles within the context of the Sunday School itself. It is a worship opportunity, and it is an educational opportunity.

Opening and closing devotions, whether done as an individual class or larger segment of the Sunday School provide unique opportunities for children to experience worship that is tailored to their specific levels of development, reading ability, and interest. Child-friendly hymns and songs, opportunity for individual prayer concerns to be addressed, and even object lessons or devotional thoughts targeted for children are all possible in a much greater degree than in the Divine Service.

What resources do you find most helpful in classroom devotions or department-wide worship? What resources should your publishing house be providing?

These opening and closing devotions are also an important, even vital, opportunity to teach the elements of corporate worship to children. We can explain the vocabulary used in the parts of the liturgy. We can teach the refrains, such as the Alleluia and Verse, that come and go so quickly in the service that some children are "left in the dust." We can help children memorize the creed and the Lord's Prayer so that their participation in the worship can be more meaningful. We can teach them how to follow the hymn texts from one staff of music to the next in the hymnal. In these ways and more, we can ensure that children grow into full participation in the congregation's worship.

How well does your curriculum integrate the elements of the Divine Service (hymns and liturgy) into classroom/Sunday School worship? What more would you like to see?

Time spend in Sunday School preparing children for and leading them in worship is not wasted. It is excellent Christian education!

God bless you as you teach God's Word (in liturgy and song) to His children.

Worship or Christian Education?

It is inevitable that families in some of our Lutheran congregations will ask the question, "Which is more important for our kids on Sunday morning, worship or education?" Be thankful if you are part of the many churches where this question is rare or non-existent. There are thousands of congregations that maintain a Sunday schedule where worship is conducted at one time and Christian education precedes or follows.

In too many, however, the decision has been made to schedule a worship service concurrent with Sunday School. Often this is seen as a stewardship decision: How can we justify a multi-million-dollar building project to handle the growing number of worshipers when we can increase our worship capacity by simply adding another worship service? I have attended and served in congregations that took this route. I confess to my shame that even advocated such a decision in my youth. I would no longer do so.

But, let me know avoid the question: which is more important? Without a doubt, worship get my vote. In the Divine Service, God provides His Word and Sacraments and, with them, the precious gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation. The Divine Service fulfills the commands of God in a way that Sunday School cannot.

Yet I would insist that Christian education, adult Bible study and Sunday School, runs a close second, so nearly matching worship in importance that I would urge parents to do all they can to provide for both experiences on Sunday morning for their children, and for themselves.

But won't young children get more out of an age-appropriate Sunday School class than from a worship service that seems designed primarily for adults? While this may seem true from a human perspective, how can it be true? God promises that His Word will accomplish what He desires, even in the ears, eyes, and hearts of children. At what age will this not be true? The worship service is a rich tapestry of Word that touches us through all our senses---music, speech, drama, symbols and images, and even aromas---with opportunities to impress the Gospel on even the youngest of children.

So, let's not force our families to make a choice. Let's provide excellent worship opportunities that share God's Word with those of all ages. And let's encourage attendance in Sunday School or Bible class for children, youth, and adults.

What's is your Sunday morning schedule for worship and education? How happy are you with that schedule?

In your opinion, does concurrent worship and education opportunities have a positive or negative impact on Sunday School?

The Final Edition

I'll admit it. I am an imperfect Sunday School curriculum editor.

Partly, that's because I'm an imperfect human being, sinful by nature. However, that is also the reality of my work. The Sunday School lessons I create as a curriculum editor are not a final, perfect edition. And that's a good thing!

I create lessons for average children, of an average number, with average interests and abilities, taught by an average teacher, who has average skills, in an average classroom. Oh, it won't be a bad lesson, God willing. I, and many others---fellow editors who "second edit" my work, my senior editor who "reads behind" all the work of those of us she supervises, the anonymous doctrinal reviewer who checks my work for heresy and theological inaccuracy, the copyeditor (who checks my grammar, spelling, and punctuation, verifies Bible references and other facts, and makes sure what is written makes sense), the designer who creates a pleasing layout and images for the material, and the proofreader who follows behind for a final check---have created a lesson that does the basics---teaches the Bible text and shares the Gospel clearly and in a winsome manner. But it still is an average lesson.

But the children you teach are not average. They have specific skills and abilities. They have names and faces. You know their number, their parents, and the activities they enjoy. (I don't.)

The classroom in which you teach is not average. It has specifics good points and, no doubt, specific limitations. You know what activities can take place there. (I don't.)

And you are not an average teacher. You know specific things about the Bible and, no doubt, don't know many other things (me, too). You have favorite styles of instruction, special routines and traditions in your classroom, ways of saying things, and great new ideas about how to teach the children who come each week to hear God's Word.

So, in a real way, you have that harder job. You must, each week, take the average lesson I provide and adapt it for your students. "That activity will never work," you say; "What I need to do is . . . ." "Mr. Smith teaching on the other side of the partition will hate me if I try that, but I can . . . ." "My kids really don't like drama; instead I'll . . . ." "My students don't know very much about that concept, so first I will . . . ." "I could illustrate that better with what happened to me last week, when . . . ."

And there it is! The Final Edition! Yours! Better than mine, because it incorporates information that I didn't have when I edited the original. Thanks for taking the time each week to adapt and polish to create a lesson that truly teaches God's children His Word. I hoped that I helped get you started.

What sections of the lesson do you find yourself adapting most often?
Where do you think the editor of your material always seems to "miss the mark"?

The Heart of Sunday School

Sunday School is all about sharing the Gospel, teaching God's children the truths of God's Word, that He loves them with an everlasting, unchanging, unconditional love and promises salvation to all who believe in His Son, Jesus, who died to redeem all people from sin, death, and the devil.

Sunday School is not about entertainment. That doesn't mean it can't be entertaining, but if it is only entertaining but does not share the Gospel, what's the point? Others can and will do a better job of entertaining children than we can. We have something a bit more substantial to share.

Sunday School is not about character development. Teaching children respect, honesty, and love for neighbor are not unimportant tasks, and these themes may arise in the course of many Sunday School lessons, but they are not core to Sunday School. Spare me dancing vegetables and dinosaurs, please.

Sunday School is not about moralism. Yes, Sunday School children are sinful human creatures, as you and I are, but once they have experienced the Law it is imperative that we share with them the one message that bring new life, joy, and salvation. Jesus loves and forgive them.

Will you be teaching God's children His Word this Sunday? Locate the Gospel message that is at the heart of the Bible text you will teach. Find out how it is shared with the students through the material you teach. If you can't find it, or feel it deserves to be strengthened, re-write the lesson until it does the job. Along the way, make sure the lesson will be enjoyable for you and for those you teach.

And if you find ways to improve the lessons I have edited (middle and upper grades for Growing in Christ from CPH), don't hesitate to let me know. I really do wish to practice what I preach.

Did you find clear Gospel in the material you will teach this week? How could that lesson be improved?

God's richest blessings as you teach God's children His Word!

From Where I Sit

From where I sit, Sunday School remains a viable tool through which churches teach God's children His Word.

Where do I sit? I am an editor for a denominational publishing house, Concordia Publishing House. I edit Sunday School material of various kinds and a magazine for volunteer Sunday School teachers. Because I make my living from promoting Sunday School, you might be tempted to write me off. I hope you don't.

I'd like to promote conversation about how Sunday School can be more effective in it's task of teaching God's children His Word. I've heard people say that Sunday School is dead. I don't believe it. There are hundreds of thousands of Sunday Schools in the world today. They all struggle to some degree. They exist in a world plagued by sin. But all also succeed to some degree. I know this for certain, because God's Word promises that that is so (Isaiah 55:11).

By God's grace, and with His help and the help of others, our Sunday Schools can be better than they are. I hope you will join me in a quest for better Sunday Schools, better places to teach God's children His Word.

So let me start with two simple questions.

How is your Sunday School doing?

What do you need to improve?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Tom Nummela