3. Relationship with an adult who (ideally) loves kids.
Once in a while, we would have a Sunday School teacher who taught because she really loved kids.
I remember one teacher who hosted an Easter Egg hunt just for our class at a park near her house. That made a big impact on me. I also had another teacher who would come faithfully every week to our midweek class (our version of Boy Scouts) even though I was often the only one who showed up. (I was the pastor’s kid, I had no choice.) He wasn’t a talented teacher or leader, but he cared about me.
I didn’t have the maturity to recognize it at the time, but Jim Daboor taught me how to love like Jesus.
4. Spiritual heritage.
My Sunday School class is where I learned my spiritual heritage. We talked about the heroes of our tribe, missionaries who made the ultimate sacrifice for the Gospel. We learned the tenets of our faith and the nuances of doctrine the set us apart. Much of it was legalistic and some downright whacky, but I understood who we were and what we believed.
The core that I learned in those classes is still what I cling to today. It is a basic part of who I am.
My concern is in killing Sunday School we have thrown the baby out with the bath water. (I’m not sure that analogy really works any more. Normally, we just drain the bath water rather than throw it out, and I think the average parent can distinguish small humans from the liquid form of water. Nonetheless, you get my point.) No matter how awesome our children’s environments, how talented our teachers or how fun our games, I’m not sure we’ve replaced the core of what Sunday School provided. Even bad Sunday School.
So, am I suggesting we bring Sunday School back? Heaven forbid! I just think we need incredible intentionality around the elements we’ve lost. My fear is that we are raising a generation of children who love the entertainment we provide on Sunday, but have little understanding of the Bible, no close church friends, little connection to Christian adults (other than their parents) and a lack of knowledge about their spiritual heritage.
In other words, we have unchurched children growing up in the church.
This is a HUGE deal.
I love the things Sunday School is about: biblical knowledge, connection with peers, relationship with a caring adult and spiritual heritage. The only thing I hate is Sunday School itself. It was the most torturous hour of the week for me and my buddies, so I selfishly celebrated its slow and painful demise. Surely we’d find a better way to keep the good stuff of Sunday School while dumping the bad. I’m not sure we have.
Many churches have replaced Sunday School with fun and engaging children’s environments that kids love. The music, storytelling and games are done with excellence. Often, there is a small group component and a take-home paper for parents. After several years of this new paradigm, many leaders, myself included, are concerned that the fun, flashy programs aren’t producing biblically literate, spiritually grounded Christ followers.
We’re entertaining the kids, but are we discipling them?
