Everyday Faith Family Pages---A Free Resource

Are you looking for ways to help families connect to God's Word? Check out this free weekly resource from CPH: Everyday Faith Family Pages. (Click the title to go find these downloadable PDFs.) Pages for the current unit for Growing in Christ, New Testament 1, are located at the bottom of the page.

Each page is designed to engage parents and families in concepts related to that week's Sunday School lesson. They are organized to match our Concordia Sunday School scope and sequence, but they can be used in any congregation with any family. They don't rely on Sunday School content, and they don't assume Sunday School attendance. You can print and distribute these pages to students as a take-home resource, or you can attach them to a email to every family. Use these pages to . . .

• Inform parents of what their children are learning in Sunday School.
• Stimulate faith discussions in the home.
• Encourage families that don't currently attend Sunday School.

Try this resource today! Your families will be glad you did.

Thanks for teaching God's children His Word!

Time for a Census?

Once every ten years, our nation undertakes a census, a count of citizens and an investigation into who they are, what characteristics they exhibit.

Once a year, your Sunday School should also undertake a census. List by name all the children of Sunday School age who are baptized members of your congregation. Then note, to the best of your ability, what characteristics they exhibit.

• Do they attend Sunday School? How frequently?
• Do their parents attend Bible class?
• What other church connections do they have? Worship? Day School attendance? Participation in choir? Other activities?
• Who are their friends within the congregation?
• What challenging circumstances do they face?

What value is there in such a list?

• It is a prayer list. Pray for each family and child, personally and corporately.
• It may suggest social connections that could encourage more frequent attendance.
• It can be a source of incremental improvement. The Smiths have never been to Sunday School; what entry level event might attract them? The Jones attend only once in a while; what strategy or incentive might help them be more faithful? The Roberts children sometimes come but their parents are never in Bible class; what class might appeal to them?
• It can be a aid to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It's a plan that has been used before! "In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration . . . ." (Luke 2:1-2 ESV)

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

My Car Won't Run! It Must Need New Paint!

Or I could address the real problem. My car may deserve to have its paint job touched up, but a new coat of paint is not going to help it run. Since my car has a specific purpose, which is providing transportation not decoration, I would be better off spending my time and money identifying and fixing the issues that keeps it from running.

"Our Sunday School is losing ground. We must need a new curriculum." Or you could address the real problem. Too many churches would rather focus on stuff that is visible, tangible, and seems easily remedied, than to do the hard work---train the volunteers, educate the parents, fund the mission. Contacting families who are finding other things to do on Sunday morning, building relationships with parents so that your spiritual encouragement does not fall on deaf ears, convincing church council members that Sunday School is worth allocating budgeted funds for. These are not easy tasks. They will require patient effort over a period of weeks, months, and years to accomplish.

But the mission of your Sunday School, to share the Gospel with the children and adults of your church and community, is truly worth the effort. And how much more beneficial it will be in the long run if you focus on finding and fixing the real issues behind low Sunday School attendance.

Unless, of course, your curriculum truly is the problem---the real reason (not the excuse) that families are not attending. If your curriculum fails to teach God's Word of both Law and Gospel, if it ignores the Sacraments God has provided for our spiritual nurture, if it seeks to entertain rather than instruct, perhaps it is time for a new coat of paint.

God bless you as you teach His children His Word!

How Big Is Your Sunday School?

Stop! Before you read on, classify your Sunday School based on enrollment (the number of children who attend at least once each year). Is it "Big"? "Small"? "Average"?

I'd bet you have underestimated your size, based on enrollment figures in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. In 2005 (I know, 10 years ago! I'm working to get better figures, but I don't think the situation for Sunday School has improved), here's what things looked like.

• 1 in 6 congregations reported no Sunday School at all!
• 2 in 6 reported fewer than 10 students enrolled.
• Half of the congregations reported fewer than 20 students enrolled.
• The average enrollment was 37 students.
• Only 1 in every 20 congregations reported 100 or more students.

I heard last week of a congregation where the Sunday School teacher (yes, the only one) faithfully prepared her lesson every week so that she would be ready if even one student arrived to hear God's Word! I am profoundly grateful for congregations who persist in providing Sunday School for children who show up on Sunday, even if it is just a few.

In the same breath, I give thanks to God for you.

God bless you as you teach His children His Word!

Do You Want a Better Sunday School?

There are no shortcuts. Whether you have a large congregation or a small one, having a good Sunday School is hard work. The payoff, of course, is worth it . . . bringing children to Jesus through His Word.

Sunday School is not about

• fun
• entertainment
• the latest material
• going easy on the church budget

Sunday School is about

• seeing Jesus
• teaching Law and Gospel
• building relationships
• partnering with parents

Here are five steps toward a better Sunday School:

1. Talk with your pastor. Invite him to encourage families to participate in Sunday from the pulpit, regularly.
2. Make a list of children who are not attending Sunday School.
3. Get to know those families yourself.
4. Find bridge families, people you know who know some who do not yet attend. Encourage them to support marginal families in their church connections.
5. Send sample Sunday School materials to families who are not attending Sunday School or who attend infrequently. Encourage them to use the materials at home and remind them that there is a place for them in Sunday School each week.

God bless you as you teach His children His word!

Building a Sunday School Expectation

Is there a Sunday School teacher or director, pastor, or director of Christian education who believes that their Sunday School attendance is good enough? A survey conducted earlier this year by Concordia Publishing House indicates that "low or sporadic attendance" is the number one challenge for Sunday School leaders. The number two challenge? Lack of family engagement.

So, how do you motivate families, parents and children, to avail themselves of the Sunday School opportunity you provide each week? Let me suggest three actions that will make a difference.

1. Your pastor's expressed expectation for Sunday School involvement. Encourage your pastor to talk about the value of Sunday School participation for all ages as often as possible. From the pulpit, during worship announcements, as he meets with families before a Baptism, when he reports to the voters assembly. I recall the words of a mission-minded pastor who preceded me in a congregation: "Stay close to the spout where the glory comes out." When the pastor says it is important for adults and children to be in Sunday School, they will listen. If he does not make this recommendation frequently and publicly, they may feel excused.
2. Frequent public information about your Sunday School. Certainly the accurate weekly schedule, information about locations of classrooms, and a general invitation should be printed in your church's publications. In addition, profiles of faithful teachers, stories about special classroom activities, and curriculum information can be shared. Involve Sunday School classes in the worship services through singing, dramatic interpretation of the Scripture readings, or puppet shows.
3. An effective nursery roll program. Starting with the birth of a child, many congregations begin a ministry of visits and mailings to share information about a child's physical and spiritual development. This information culminates with an invitation to enroll the child in their first Sunday School class as soon as possible after their third birthday.

The goal is to create an expectation that children and adults in your congregation will attend Sunday School. It becomes what the members of [Zion or St. Paul's or you name it] Lutheran Church do. Your congregation's leaders can be reminded of the example they set in this regard. Integrate into this expectation the reason for the behavior: hear more about our Savior Jesus and to grow closer to Him and stronger in the faith.

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

Why Did They Come?

Name a student or two who attended your Sunday School class yesterday. Picture them in your mind. Then ask yourself, "Why did he or she come?"

• Was it parental insistence?
• A chance to see a friend?
• Enjoying the craft activity?
• The good feeling of being able to answer the teachers' questions?
• The promise of a snack?
• Thirst for God's Word?

Intrinsic motivation, the love of learning, the thirst for God's Word, is probably a rare thing for your students. This side of heaven our desires are more often corrupted by our sinful nature. That does not mean, though, that the force of the Law is the only motive that will bring your students to class.

If your students love engaging in conversation with each other, it is not Law to give them opportunities to do that before or during the lesson. If your students enjoy craft activities, or singing, or drama, or art, it is not Law to make frequent use of those activities in your class.

Use the tools at your disposal, all of them, to draw in your students to hear God's Word, talk about their faith, and grow as Jesus' disciples.

God will bless you as you teach His children His Word.

Who Is Missing?

You are five weeks into a new quarter of Sunday School. Routines are established. The dust has settled. You know your students pretty well and they know you.

It's time to ask, "Who is missing?"

Are all the students present each week who could be? Who should be? Probably not. Make a short list today, one or two names of students you miss. What would it take to get them to class?

• A personal contact?
• A promise (fulfilled, of course) of an activity they will find interesting?
• Contact from another student?
• An offer of transportation?
• A reminder to parents of the important opportunity that is being missed?
• A nudge from the pastor?

Say a prayer. Choose one thing you can do. Do it today.

God will bless you as you teach His children His Word.

Send It Home!

A recent Sunday School product survey here at CPH has suggested that the family connections built into our student leaflets may be the components of the material least valued by teachers. The response rate on the survey was rather low; the data is not statistically reliable. But the message is troubling.

Are we guilty of paying lip service to the notion that parents are the primary sources of faith nurture for their children? We know that is God's plan. Surely we must do all we can to support and encourage faith formation in the home, throughout the week, even as we also encourage families to avail themselves of Christian education and Sunday School.

On one hand, I can imagine some of the reasoning behind the low scores some teachers give the family connection components. They are not intended for use in class. They take up space in the leaflet that could be devoted to in-class activities. The students often don't even take the leaflet with them when they leave the classroom. It could be perceived as a waste.

Instead, I might suggest that we re-think our strategy. If we value our partnership with the home in faith formation, we might:

• Encourage students to take the leaflets home.
• Point out the activities the student could show their parents or even do with their parents at home.
• Mention the Bible account summaries and family devotion suggestions to the parents in conversation at the classroom door, or in e-mail updates to the parents. Challenge them to look for these things in the leaflet their child brings home.

Finally, I would encourage Sunday School teachers and directors to make full use of two key resources as you partner with parents.

The first are the Explore More Cards feature the biblical art for each lesson along with 4 or 5 activities or discussion questions that families can use in the car or during family devotions to review and explore the Bible account more fully. Some congregations use these cards as incentives to encourage attendance. They are listed in the Cross Explorations section of our Sunday School order form, but are designed for work equally well with Growing in Christ.

The second resource are the weekly "bulletin notes" available on the Director CD (GiC), in the Director Handbook (CE), or in the Tools section of our Sunday School Web site (cph.org/SundaySchool). Many congregations already print these paragraphs in the church bulletin, but they can also e-mailed to parents before each Sunday as a way of encouraging attendance or after each lesson as a reminder to review and discuss the lesson with the students.

God bless you as you equip parents to teach His children His Word!

Do It Now

You're in the first month of a new school year. The slate is fresh. Energy is high.

Sunday School Director, now is the time to . . .

• List every child in your congregation eligible for Sunday School. If they have attended already this month, send their parents a note or call them with thanks for their commitment to Christian education. If they have not yet attended, send their parents a note or call them, encouraging them to join the other families in your congregation who hear the Gospel each week in Sunday School.
• Check each Sunday School classroom for appropriate furniture, adequate storage, clean windows and floors, and a fresh coat of paint.
• Start plans for your children's Christmas service.
• Speak a public word of thanks for those who teach in your Sunday School.

Sunday School Teacher, now is the time to . . .

• List each child who is eligible for your class. Pray for each child. Note the ones who have attended in September.
• Introduce yourself to the parents of children who are attending. Invite their input on how their child learns best and is most readily motivated to be engaged in class.
• Introduce yourself to the parents of children who have not yet attended. Invite their children to join their peers in studying God's Word.
• Request a list of birthdays and Baptismal dates from parents or the church office.
• Start a weekly Sunday School class e-mail. Alert the parents to activities that went well last Sunday and to what lesson will be taught this Sunday.

Is that too much to do now, or this week? Then do one thing on your list this week, and do another one next week. It will be time well invested.

God bless you as you teach His children His Word!

Building Up Your Sunday School

Who would not love to have more children attending Sunday School each week?

One powerful tool is a strong adult Bible study program, one that addresses the needs and matches the learning styles of parents with children. It will have three immediate benefits.

In the first place, if the parents are in Bible class, so will the children be in Sunday School.

Second, the example of the parents in valuing lifelong Christian education will impact the children in very positive ways.

Third, if parents join their children in study during the Sunday School hour, the children will then join the parents for worship, which, sad to say, is not always the case in our churches these days.

Good things happen when children learn to value weekly opportunities for worship and Christian education. God promises this will be so!

God bless you as you teach His children, and their parents, 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!

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!

A Class of One

It may be that some Sunday in the next month, many teachers will be faced with a very difficult situation . . . a class of one. It it not surprising that many will find this situation difficult of a couple of levels. Let's deal with two specific areas of concern.
Physically
In our present societal culture, my first piece of advice, when faced with a single student when it comes time to start your Sunday School class is this: don't.
I encourage all agencies of the Church to adhere to a two-deep policy: two adults present at all times with children. This is especially true when there is only one child in the class. How could anyone in the church be concerned about my conduct, you might ask. Tom Nummela must have a warped mind. None the less, for the protection of the volunteers involved as well as the children, this should be a  matter of policy. It is often mandated by your church's insurance carrier.
If you find there are just two of you in the room . . .

• Join another class, one level up or down as needed. The other teacher will probably be surprised, but things will sort out quickly and everyone will benefit.
• Recruit another adult or parent to join you. The child's parent would be ideal. Everyone will be more at ease.

In either case, explanations will be a whole lot easier if it is simply in response to the church's policy.
Educationally
Assuming that you have that extra body in the room and are going ahead with the lesson, consider these realities:

• Discussion may be difficult.
• The lesson will go very quickly.
• It is time to get personal.

Getting personal will help on several levels.
As the teacher, be personal. Share your story. Make sure the student knows that you teach about Jesus because you love Jesus and know He cares for you. Reveal enough about yourself to give the student some opportunities to relate to you.
With the student, get personal. Spend some time at the beginning of class to get to know the student. Ask fact questions about family, pets, school, hobbies, sports, and other interests. Even if you know the child well, get to know him or her even better. The point here is both to learn and to let the student practice talking to you. When the lesson discussion comes around you'll find it will go much better.
Read the Bible account, re-tell the account, and ask review questions. The review could be a two-person drama, perhaps. You'll have time to round up a few props, practice the lines, and really get it right.
Build your review and application questions like a pyramid. Lay a base of easy questions, ones with obvious answers. Structure the questions so that the student cannot answer in one or two words. (Remember, you want the student to get comfortable conversing with you.) After the base has been laid, look for the analysis questions that will unpack motivation, why the people in the story acted as they did, and why God acted as He did in this situation.
When it comes to application, lead the student to see that he or she is like the person God helps in the story, more than the one who helps (not the Good Samaritan, but the man who fell among thieves; not the shepherd or the woman who lost the coin or the father, but the lost sheep, coin, and son).
As you teach, decide whether the application activities in the lesson will work with just one student. Invent your own craft ideas as you go along. Invite the student to illustrate the story on the board, or draw a picture on paper to share with parents. Take the child along to the supply room to gather some cool stuff to create some take-home art.

Finally, be brave. Sing the songs suggested in the lesson; no one will hear but you and an audience of one. Try something new; if it doesn't work, your learning partner will be forgiving. Above all, let the Gospel shine clearly. The class of one is a rare opportunity to assure that child of God's love and forgiveness in a personal way. Make the most of it.

God bless you as you teach God's child His Word.

Learnings from "Second Grade Bible Sunday"

Our new congregation, St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Des Peres, MO, recognized second graders and their families with the gift of a Bible for each student as part of the worship service this past Sunday. At least 80 percent of the students, including (I was told) many who are not likely to attend Sunday School. Still attendance was good for this event. What can we learn from this event and apply to other aspects of the Sunday School?

Personal contact bears fruit. It was obvious that the families of each second grader had been contacted, made aware of the event, and invited to participate. I'd like to think that contact was personal (phone or visit) rather than just by mail or blanket e-mail.

People responded to the offer of a significant gift. The Bibles presented were not cheap (a $25.00 value). They were special and personalized for each child. (Okay, the personalization was to take place later and that could have been improved, but it was a big deal for these kids.)

Give the event and the participants visibility. The students and their parents were invited forward by name during the worship service, introduced, and applauded. It was a relatively big deal. I've seen in other congregations a connection made between this gift of the Bible and the parents' baptismal promises. It would have been nice if the pastor had prayed with these families at the altar, but he did pray for all parents and students just moments before. How many other times will a second grader get to stand in front of the congregation and be applauded just for being there?

The worship event was tied to participating in that morning's Sunday School class. The students were encouraged to be in Sunday School that morning with their new Bibles. The Bible would be personalized with name-plates and other information, the students would meet the regular Sunday School teachers. It was an attempt to make this one-time event the beginning of a habit of regular participation.

I hope it works for these children, that they become regular students of God's Word!

How could this kind of milestone event be leveraged into regular participation?

What other events of this kind could be added to the congregation's calendar to encourage parents and children to participate in Sunday School?

What great ideas do you have for making the most of "Second Grade Bibles Sunday"?

Teaching a Class of One

You've heard about "an army of one." How about a class of one?

In many Sunday Schools, especially as summer takes its toll, a class of a single student is a common experience. How do you teach a class of one? Let me start the list of things to consider.

• Leave the door open. This is an invitation for others to join, including late-arrivers or students who might be shy. It also is an alternative to the best practice of staffing two-deep. (One child and one teacher in a closed room will run counter to most child-safety policies.)
• Don't fret. Give your class of one the clear impression that it is "business as usual"; don't make your one student feel bad or odd for having come to hear God's Word.
• Make conversation, Part 1. You've talked to children one-on-one before (your own, a niece or nephew, the child of a visiting friend, and many others). Take the opportunity you've been given to get to know this child as a friend. Ask the student about his or her week, family, pets, favorite activities, plans for later in the day.
• Make conversation, Part 2. Work to make your class discussion an extension of this conversation. "I like to start each Sunday School lesson with prayer. Will you pray with me? Do you have anything we can pray about?" "This is the leaflet that goes with today's Bible lesson. What event from the Bible do you think this picture is capturing?"
• Watch for opportunities to extend the lesson. The lesson will fly with only one student to teach. Discussion will be brief; sharing will take place quickly. You will have extra time. Plan ways to use the extra time profitably.
• Take a field trip. Visit the sanctuary to see the baptismal font up close. Talk about the vocation of pastor and visit the church office area (where many students never get to go). Be sure to let your Sunday School director know where you and the child are going. Don't leave the building without a parent's permission.
• Don't ignore opportunities to use music. If you or your student are shy about singing, you will be tempted to skip using the songs or hymns that are associated with the lesson. Don't. Use the recordings as listening opportunities. Read the words together. Listen to the music as you do written activities.
• Solicit feedback. If your "class of one" is a talker, you have a tremendous boost. He or she will likely answer your questions willingly and perhaps even volunteer contributions to the conversation. If he or she is more reticent, find other ways to learn whether the student is assimilating the information you are sharing. Watch for non-verbal cues: nods, puzzled expressions, the light of understanding. Utilize non-verbal methods for feedback. "Point to the words in the Bible text/lesson leaflet that tell us why Jesus did this." "Let's draw a picture of how this event in Jesus' life ended."

What tips do you have for teaching a class of one?

God will bless your efforts to teach even just one of His children His Word!

Planning Can Combat Summer Slump

The Sunday School Revolutionary, Darryl Wilson, writes an interesting post about this subject. You can read it here, but let me share some of his thoughts and some of my own.

Why a Slump?
The Sunday School Revolutionary suggests these:

vacations

family visits

children's summer sports leagues

recreational outings, such as a weekend at the lake

late Saturday evening activities

Add to that all the normal reasons that families have difficulty making it to Sunday School consistently (the lure of the mattress, going out for breakfast, split custody of children, and more) and the problem magnifies.

What Can You Do?
Mr. Wilson offers a great list of ideas for combating the slump:

Invite your absentees each week.

Implement Saturday night calling of every member, guest, and prospect.

Focus on inviting guests every week.

Have a class or Sunday School-wide photo Sunday and work to have the whole class present.

Conduct a contact contest during one month or the entire summer between two halves of your Sunday School.

Plan a meal and fellowship immediately after Sunday School and worship.

Have a teacher/worker appreciation Sunday and encourage members to bring appreciation gifts to teachers/workers.

Provide breakfast; food is a guaranteed attraction. 

What Should You Avoid?

Skipping the lesson is a no-no; teaching the Gospel is the reason for Sunday School, so don't fail to provide substance.

Pass on videos of talking vegetables who teach moralism instead of salvation.

Don't leave the parents without an attractive study alternative; if the parents come to Sunday School, so will the kids.

Don't focus on unsustainable activities; water games will be fun, but unless you are going to do it every week, you will wind up disappointing your attendees somewhere down the line (also see the first item in this category).

Here's the point in a nutshell: you know that summer will present challenges for your Sunday School. Plan now (okay, it's almost too late) to combat the forces of attrition by creating reasons for families, students, and staff to be excited about Sunday School all summer long. Whatever investment you make is bound to pay off in more opportunities to teach God's children His Word.

What are the most common reasons your members will miss Sunday School this summer?

How will you combat Sunday School slump this summer?

Building Attendance

A conversation is occurring in another forum about helping families with small children and teens make it to both church and Sunday School in the face of busy lives.

Here was my contribution to that exchange:

Thanks to all of you for your concern in this area. It strikes me that the issue is the same for families with teens and those with small children, for families without children, singles, seniors, and . . . you get the point. The issue is priorities.

Satan works to crowd God out of our lives or marginalize Him (The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis is an interesting read on this point).

Duty used to be a relatively strong motivator for many families; not so much any more. Guilt can work for some and for a time, and preaching both Law and Gospel is what the Church is all about. But if you are going to preach the Law, it is essential that it be followed with honest Gospel, or the result will be resentment not joyful service.

I would suggest that we haven't done a very good job in the Church in the past twenty years of effectively communicating what Sunday School is all about. Why should parents and others make Sunday School a priority over sports, breakfast out, and yes even sleep? Each Sunday we have the opportunity to encounter Jesus Christ in Word and Sacrament through Sunday School and the Divine Service. Such encounters prepare us, adults and children alike, to live as God's children in the world.

What are some ways to help marginal families understand this?

Bless us, Lord, as we teach God's children His Word.