The Impact of the Children's Christmas Service

The annual Children's Christmas Service is a wonderful tradition. (This year CPH has released To Us a Child Is Born, a classic service by Lisa Clark and organized around the gorgeous new Christmas song. Check it out!) It provides an opportunity for in-depth instruction about the Nativity during preparation, and for children to share the Gospel with family, congregation, and community.

Plan carefully, though, to ensure that preparing for this service does not detract from Sunday School's chief purpose, to instruct children in that Gospel. Limit the use of Sunday School time for rehearsal; never skip the Sunday School lesson completely. Use the songs the children will sing in the service as part of your Sunday School openings or closings for several weeks before the service. Encourage parents to step up, helping their children learn songs and speaking parts at home.

Then smile as those lambs, angels, shepherds, Wise Men, and Holy Family speak and sing the Gospel in the days before Christmas, sharing "the blessed gift of heaven!"

God bless you as you teach His children the Christmas Gospel.

Let the Children Come to Me

Jesus said to them, "Let the children come to Me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God." Mark 10:14

Not, "Let the children come to soccer." Not, "Let the children come to have fun." Not, "Let the children come when we feel like it."

"Let the children come to Me." The Church wastes its time when it tries to entertain children on Sunday morning; the world offers far better entertainment. The Church wastes its time when it fails to point out the eternal, spiritual difference between participating in sports and hearing the Gospel. The Church wastes its time when it offer Sunday School material that does not consistently teach the Law and the Gospel each week, showing students their sin and pointing them to their Savior.

God bless you as you teach His children His Word, as you bring them to Him!

"I Have Decided to Follow Jesus"?

I would think that even the most novice pastor, teacher, or DCE in the LCMS, and---by God's grace---our Christian education teachers and leaders as well, would know there is something wrong with this song, something fundamentally un-Lutheran and therefore spiritually dangerous about using it in Sunday School or VBS to instruct children. Lutherans understand that before our conversion by the Gospel, through the proclamation of the Word and administration of Baptism. The Bible describes this in two ways. We are dead in sin (Ephesians 2), unable to love or "decide" for God. We are "enemies of God" (Romans 5), unwilling to love or choose Him. But God is love chose us. Our salvation is completely God's work.

And make no mistake, the songs we sing, the materials we send home to parents, and the signs we post in our buildings teach theology just as much as the words the teachers say.

Christian education material that fails to teach the Gospel clearly is not appropriate for use in a Lutheran congregation.

God bless you as you teach His children His Word!

Count the Cost?

"The only things we spend time and money on are things that we believe are worth more than they cost." Those words were written by Seth Godin in his blog, who describes himself as "a writer, speaker and an agent of change"; you can read the whole post here.

Essentially, he says that when we claim things cost too much, we are really saying we don't believe they are worth what is being asked in payment.

In my opinion, Mr. Godin has put his finger on what is looming as a crisis for Christian education in the LCMS. Sunday School is no longer valued as it once was as an institution for teaching the Gospel. Perhaps there other models for Christian education that will flourish, that is, be seen as worth the cost in dollars, staff time, volunteer commitments, and parental investment. I'm not seeing it however.

Your challenge is clear. If you want to build up your Sunday School, you need to strengthen its reputation for value. You need to convince others---your pastor, parents, church leaders, budget-setters---that Sunday School is worth it!

God bless you as you work to make a priority of teaching God's 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!

Have a Debt-Free Christmas!

I've seen these thoughts many times over the years, most recently on the Christmas card from a friend:

Christ came to pay a debt He did not owe,
because we owed a debt we could not pay.

Jesus paid the price we owe for our sins (Romans 6:23), by coming to earth as a human child born of Mary, living a sinless life (He accumulated no debt of His own), suffering and dying on the cross as the once-for-all sacrifice for sin, and rising again as a guarantee of new life for all who believe in Him as their Savior through the proclamation of God's Word.

I hope you will have the privilege of sharing that good news with some of God's children this Sunday and each week, so that they, like you, can have a debt-free Christmas!

God bless you as you teach His children His Word!

Thanks!

Thank you, Lord, for your saints Carl and Dorothy Felten.

They "adopted" two young brothers from down the street as their personal Sunday School mission project. They provided transportation, encouragement, supervision, and not a few Dairy Queen ice cream cones to ensure that these boys had the opportunity to learn about God's Word each week. A chance to hear the Gospel.

Yes, I was one of those boys. Dorothy served as my Sunday School teacher every year it seemed to me (though that's probably just a fanciful memory) through grade school. She apparently moved up each year with my class, perhaps because I was more hindrance than help in class.

I have no doubt that, without their effort, I would not be who I am today, God's child and willing servant.

Who are you reaching out to? Who might you invite, encourage, even transport to make Sunday School possible?

God bless you as you bring His children to hear His Word!

The Gospel

"Do this and live," the Law commands,
     but gives me neither feet nor hands.
A better way His grace now brings:
     it bids me fly---and gives me wings!
(John Fisher, 1974, from "The New Covenant")

God bless you as you give wings to His children!

The Best Class Ever!

You didn't use the suggested worship. Your students joined several other grades in a joint opening devotion led by the Sunday School director.

You didn't use the opening activity. A local news story had captured the interest of your students, so you allowed them to share their thoughts, offered some comments, and led the discussion into the Bible account for the day.

You didn't present the Bible account using drama like the guide suggested. Most of your students are not very outgoing, but they like to draw, so you had them line up at the board and have each one illustrate one paragraph of the text.

You didn't use the scripted teacher talk. Instead you phrased questions in your own words and followed up on insights your students shared.

You did remember the key point and general thrust of the lesson from your review earlier in the week, and you kept to that outline, more of less.

You didn't use the suggest application activity, but instead tied the Bible text back to the local event with which you started.

You didn't sing the suggested hymn in closing, but the text was right on target, so you challenged your students to listen carefully as you played the recording.

You didn't use the closing prayer, exactly. Your students are generally willing to pray petitions expressing their spiritual concerns, so you allowed each of them to offer a short prayer and closed with just a couple of phrases from the printed prayer.

You didn't use the leaflet this week, but you passed it out, and you noticed a couple of the students tucked it into their Bibles. Maybe they will use those daily Bible readings this week.

It was one of the best classes you've taught this quarter. The students were engaged. The Gospel was clearly shared. And the lesson material provided just enough structure and substance to get you started and keep you on track. You were the final editor, making choices and adjustments based on local conditions the publisher could never have anticipated.

Thanks! God bless you as you teach His children His Word!

Have You Seen the NEW 'Happy Times'?

 

CPH's fun magazine for preschoolers and the adults to love them has undergone and thorough, thoughtful revision.

Each issue has a topic, a recipe, an action poem, a coloring page, a craft, one of God's amazing creatures, and the faith talk parents and teachers can use to share the Gospel with their children.

Click here to get more information and see a sample issue online.

Share this great news with Sunday School parents, preschool and daycare families, grandparents . . . anyone who loves preschoolers!

God bless you as you teach His children His Word!

Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain

The Easter season has more than its fair share of great hymns, and I look forward to singing them all. One of my favorites, though, is one that is less well known, “Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain” (Lutheran Service Book 487), the union of an eighth-century text and Reformation era tune that captures the joy and wonder of the paschal season.

John of Damascus wrote this Greek text as one of a cycle of hymns sung in the daily prayer services of the Eastern Church on “St. Thomas Sunday” (the Sunday after Easter), and, because of its intended place in the cycle, the hymn picks up the theme of Israel crossing the Red Sea (st. 1). John then weaves a tapestry of Easter metaphors, each stanza offering new images of the resurrection: freedom from prison, waking from sleep, and the coming of spring in stanza 2; feasting in stanza 3; and the Gospel account of Christ’s appearance to Thomas in stanza 4.

Who can miss John’s meaning? We are the joyful sons and daughters of Jacob, the new Israel. We too are released, awake, and enjoying the new life of spring. We will join the feast now and in eternity. We see the empty tomb and know Christ’s peace that passes understanding. We will “raise the strain of triumphant gladness! God has brought His Israel into joy from sadness!”

God's richest blessings as you share His Word with His children in this Easter season!

What Is Your Goal?

The goal of a Lutheran Sunday School is not to entertain the children or go easy on the budget. It is to share the truth of God's Word through balanced teaching of Law and Gospel.

The world will always be better able to entertain and please. Let's focus our efforts each Sunday on the one thing that that world cannot provide: forgiveness, life, and salvation through Christ.

• How well does the material you use support that goal?
• How clear is that task in the minds of your teachers and how well have you prepared them for that task?
• How do you highlight that goal and its importance for your congregation and community?

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

When Did You Decide to Follow Jesus?

An interesting quotation in a Sunday School curriculum publisher's promotional e-mail this morning, highlighting their "Gospel-centered" material: "Nearly 80 percent of people in our churches today decided to follow Jesus before age 18. Of that group, 50 percent decided to follow Jesus before age 12."

The e-mail then proceeded to quote Matthew 19:14: “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

There are so many troubling aspects in this for me that it is hard to know where to begin. I'm going to let that simmer for a bit and come back to it in a future post.

Let me instead focus on the real occasion for joy that is reflected in the statistics cited, assuming they are accurate. Eighty percent of parents in these churches are apparently bringing their children to Jesus! Eighty percent of children in these churches are apparently hearing the Gospel! Eighty percent of these congregations seem to be doing a credible job of teaching God's children His Word!

You and I know that a so-called "decision for Christ" can only be the result of Gospel shared, of the Holy Spirit's calling and enlightening. We know that our ability to follow Jesus results only from His power at work in us through Word and Sacraments. To the extent that some people focus on the human actions of "deciding" and "following," they miss the point. The Gospel is not about our actions, our decisions, our choosing, our following, for I "cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him" (Luther's Small Catechism, CPH 1986).

Thank You, God, for Your actions: sacrificing Your Son, forgiving our sins, calling us through the Word, Jesus and the Holy Scriptures, to be Your own. Bless those bring little children to Jesus in Sunday School each week; bless those who teach and those who learn. Amen.

Music's Place in the Sunday School

The music of Christmas is ringing in my ears, literally and figuratively.

On this eve of the Nativity celebration, I've been to church every day for almost a week. I've heard traditional hymns accompanied by piano, organ, and orchestra; I've heard contemporary renditions of familiar and unfamiliar Christmas music sung by a guitar-led praise band and by a throng of children singing to a contemporary recorded accompaniment track. As I type this blog post, I'm listening to an eclectic list of Christmas music used as part of "The Advent Project," a devotional site produced by Biola University.

Where Are You Headed? Where Are You Going?
Note that these are two very different questions. The first is very intentional. The second allows considerably more latitude and indifference; the place you arrive is not necessarily your intention.

Have you considered what your congregation intends as it offers music in the Christian education program and opportunities for worship led by or for its children? It occurs to me that, for all too many families in our churches, the breadth of exposure to sacred music is extremely narrow. Music, especially the Church's music, may rarely be heard in the home, except as required in this season as sound track for the seasonal episodes of one's favorite TV series or program. This puts the Church in an interesting position on Sunday morning as it forms the perception and practice of sacred music for this generation and the next.

I will leave for another time the rationale for one kind of content over another. (I do caution though that, whether by design or accident, the Sunday School's choice of music will lead somewhere.) Let me offer though at least three things to consider as you choose Sunday School music, in this season and others.

• Variety: Through the centuries, thousands of musicians and song-writers have expressed their faith through music, in all kinds of settings, cultures, and circumstances. Use at least some of your Sunday morning music time to acquaint children with music expressions that are not new, but are new to them. 
• Accessibility: Provide opportunities for music participation that are geared to every age level and ability. Teach small children refrains and short segments of liturgy. Let those who cannot sing accompany music with percussion, hand chimes, and other musical instruments. Encourage participation by everyone, and join in with the children as they sing.
• Quality: Seek always to provide the best possible music experience, and challenge children to always contribute their best vocal and musical talent. Emphasize beauty, not just volume.

Martin Luther is quoted as saying, "He who sings prays twice." Let music express the Gospel, and remind the children you teach that our music is a gift of praise to God.

God's blessings as you teach God's children to sing His Word.

Choosing Curriculum (with a nod to Pastor Pete Jurchen)

I follow Pete's blog (Parish Education Group) because Pete does his homework and then distills what he has learned in a way that make sense for us in the Church. His focus is often adult Christian education, but his recent post could be very helpful to Sunday School leaders for all age groups. Pete highlights and comments on "5 Considerations When Choosing Curriculum"; you can read the whole post here.

I'd like to comment briefly on these considerations.

1. Best Practice for Knowledge. "The curriculum should be chosen by a team of people who know what they're doing and know something about what is the best content out there." It strikes me that the definition of best content may be crucial here. Sunday School is, at its heart, theological education, so the involvement of the congregation's theologian-in-residence (the pastor) would seem important. Curricula that are relational and interactive but teach heresy are not the best choice.

2. Collaborative Within the Community. "Get the stakeholders involved," not to hijack the decision, but to inform the decision makers and to inform the constituents through the decision-making process. From my perspective this can be an opportunity to educate the parents, students, and congregation members about the goals for Sunday School and the criteria being used to make the choice.

3. Focus on the Essentials. "There's way too much to try to learn in the time allotted, especially in the parish. If you had to focus on just a few essential learning goals, what would they be?" I would ask, does the curriculum seek to teach what you desire that the students learn? For Lutherans, this would seem to beg for a focus on the Gospel of salvation through Christ in every lesson, and on the Means of Grace through which God promises to share that Gospel.

4. Results Orientation. "Whatever is chosen to do should be measurable." If this is to really be a focus, I suspect the average Sunday School has a long way to go. How does the learning that takes place in the classroom become visible to those outside . . . parents and congregation members? Open houses, bulletin boards, hallway displays, Sunday School art shows . . . . What other great ideas do you have?

5. Continuous Improvement. "What's now needed  . . . is an ongoing commitment to that excellence." This presupposes a level of evaluation by teachers and leaders that, I fear seldom takes place. The simple question would seem to be "Based on this week's experience with this curriculum, how can we make next week even better?" Our culture today would seem instead to ask only, "How could this be easier?" The questions seem to be at odds.

Thanks, Pete, for helping us think on these things.

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

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!

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!

The Problem with Non-Lutheran Material

I'm sad at how frequently I hear leaders in Christian education---directors of Christian education, pastors, even synodical and district folks---freely admit to using or recommending non-Lutheran Sunday School material. Their admission is usually coupled with the assurance that they "correct the theology" in the material before allowing it to be used.

I wonder what that "correcting" looks like? Do they write a document pointing out the theological errors and suggesting ways the teacher could include the Gospel and teaching about God's Word and Sacraments? Do they hand-write clear Gospel statements onto each of the student leaflets? Do they use a black marker to cross out each activity that teaches moralism or points students to a source other than God's son as the answer for sin and the power for Christian living? Do they conduct training sessions with each of the teachers to show what is specifically wrong with the material? Do they re-write the teacher guide material so that the heterodox material is not available for the teacher to use?

I know from twenty-plus years of experience how difficult the task of correcting theology in curriculum material can be. I suspect that the assurances I hear about such correction is more wish than reality.

My advice? Don’t put non-Lutheran material into the hands of your volunteers and, for heaven’s sake, don’t send it home with children. You know the proverb that says, "One picture is more powerful than a thousand words." Non-Lutheran printed material (the picture) placed in the hands of teachers, children, and families will speak more loudly than any “theological correction” (the words) you give verbally or in other written material. It will actually teach them bad theology both in the classroom and afterward as the material finds its way into the home.

God bless you as you teach His Word, His clear Law-and-Gospel Word, to His children!

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!

What Must I Do to Inherit Eternal Life?

He asked the wrong question! This account of Jesus' conversation with the rich ruler appears in three of the four Gospels. The title of this post quotes the Mark and Luke accounts (Mark 10:17-27; Luke 18:17-27). But the rich ruler who addressed this question to Jesus asked the wrong question.

"What must I do!" Jesus makes clear to the man, and to us, that this asks the impossible. Human beings do not have the ability to do their own salvation. We have inherited a sinful nature from our first parents. We sin in what we do and in what we do not do. If we seek to merit eternal life, we have already failed.

Jesus' response sends the man away sad.

This question is a key to teaching God's children His Word. Don't send the children you teach away sad, seeking to earn eternal life through moral living, trying to be like Jesus, and failing. Point them instead as Jesus does, to God's strength as the source of eternal life. “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

It's not what we do. It's God's amazing grace! God has done it! He sent Jesus to earn our salvation. He gives us His Word and promise. He washes us clean through our Baptism. He forgives and strengthens us through the Sacrament of the Altar.

Does the curriculum you use teach clearly about Jesus in every lesson, about God's gifts of Baptism and the Lord's Supper? Or does it send children away sad?

God bless you as you teach His children His Word!