Melissa in St Louis Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 If you send your children to Sunday School, what do you expect out of it? Why do you send them? Is it because it is the "right thing to do," or because they are getting some sort of benefit from it? What about if the only benefit was "socialization"? I LOVE the church we attend, but I wonder about the Sunday School aspect of it. It is very loud, very multi-media, and LOTS of kids in each class. It is supposed to be really fun, which it is, but it is kind of like a cupcake when I'd rather be serving a homemade protien bar. :lol: My kiddos also go to AWANA, where the classes are small and there are little old ladies doing Bible felt stories...and my kids LOOOOOOOOVE it. Much quieter, much more our pace. Our Sunday School program is very well done, and takes a lot of work from a lot of people.....why don't I like it? Please, I really don't want this to be a controversial thread. Just looking for opinions. Thanks! :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy loves Bud Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 I have the same feeling about ours, but the way I see it, everyone enjoys a cupcake now and then. I make sure they get the homemade protein bars at home. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in St Louis Posted October 4, 2009 Author Share Posted October 4, 2009 I have the same feeling about ours, but the way I see it, everyone enjoys a cupcake now and then. I make sure they get the homemade protein bars at home. ;) Good point, and very true here also. Thanks for sharing. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikeBookBread Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 Our Sunday School program is very well done, and takes a lot of work from a lot of people.....why don't I like it? You're not alone. :grouphug: We provide the majority of their Bible training at home for this very reason. Our large church is similar...big SS classes with little substance and lots of style. Strange for such a Bible-believing church. I don't get it. I think a lot has to do with the fact that we assume that much of the modern church feels compelled to be "relevant and modern", and there is the assumption out there that kids won't like it if it isn't bright, happy, vibrant, cartoonish and FUN. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirch Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 I have the same feeling about ours, but the way I see it, everyone enjoys a cupcake now and then. I make sure they get the homemade protein bars at home. ;) :iagree: We believe it's our responsibility to disciple our kids ourselves. Sunday school is a fun "extra" that helps review and reinforce what we do at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary in MN Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 ...so much of it is dumbed down IMO, with much more emphasis on making kids like sunday school than engaging them with anything of substance. They all seem to cover the same basic stories every year--a child who didn't get extra at home gets a very limited view of the Bible--just a greatest hits course....Reminds me of ps :) I think size makes a difference too--kids need smaller groups to participate in a real way, I think, which may be why Awana works so much better for your kids. After years of trying different curricula, I've found that for my own small crew of Sunday school kids, nothing works better than just retelling whatever lesson is read in church that day, talking about it informally for a while, then having them use the art supplies in the room to respond. Sort of a modified Godly Play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in St Louis Posted October 4, 2009 Author Share Posted October 4, 2009 You're not alone. :grouphug: We provide the majority of their Bible training at home for this very reason. Our large church is similar...big SS classes with little substance and lots of style. Strange for such a Bible-believing church. I don't get it. I think a lot has to do with the fact that we assume that much of the modern church feels compelled to be "relevant and modern", and there is the assumption out there that kids won't like it if it isn't bright, happy, vibrant, cartoonish and FUN.[/QUOTE] :iagree: Glad to see that I'm not the ony one having this thought. Thanks! :iagree: We believe it's our responsibility to disciple our kids ourselves. Sunday school is a fun "extra" that helps review and reinforce what we do at home. I agree. It's just strange, because I think I aways envisioned myself reinforcing what they learned at Sunday School, not the other way around, KWIM? Thanks for sharing. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bess Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 What will happen when they get to be adults and realize that church isn't a cupcake? Will they stay for the protein or go elsewhere for their sugar fix? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in St Louis Posted October 4, 2009 Author Share Posted October 4, 2009 ...so much of it is dumbed down IMO, with much more emphasis on making kids like sunday school than engaging them with anything of substance. They all seem to cover the same basic stories every year--a child who didn't get extra at home gets a very limited view of the Bible--just a greatest hits course....Reminds me of ps :) I think size makes a difference too--kids need smaller groups to participate in a real way, I think, which may be why Awana works so much better for your kids. After years of trying different curricula, I've found that for my own small crew of Sunday school kids, nothing works better than just retelling whatever lesson is read in church that day, talking about it informally for a while, then having them use the art supplies in the room to respond. Sort of a modified Godly Play. Mary, I completely agree with the "dumbed down" comment. Your first paragraph here is spot-on. For the last part of what you wrote, could you explain how you do this? Is this with your own children or the sunday school class? I dunno if I can make it to the early service and then leave and go do sunday school on my own. :tongue_smilie: part of me feels like I'm making a big deal of it, that we have a great program. The other part of me feels like it's not a program I want us to continue unless I convince myself this is a purely "social" activity. And that's not what I want it to be. Food for my own thought. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in NH Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 What will happen when they get to be adults and realize that church isn't a cupcake? Will they stay for the protein or go elsewhere for their sugar fix? Our kids classes are after church, not during so they get both the "cupcake" and the "protein bar". I send them because I was raised by atheists, not Chirtians, so even though I teach them religion at home, I am still insecure. Having said that, I do feel like the sunday school is supplementing my teaching and not the other way around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 Sunday school should teach a child at their level. I choose a church for the meatiness of the teaching for the adults and the meatiness of the teaching for the children. If the Sunday school is not good but the children could and would benefit from the adult service then I would have them attend the adult service. But as a PP said, I am teaching my children from the Bible all week long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 What will happen when they get to be adults and realize that church isn't a cupcake? Will they stay for the protein or go elsewhere for their sugar fix? I was wondering the same thing but could not word it as well as you. What I remember most about Sunday was going to "big church" with my family. Sometimes it was unbelievably boring but I understood, even at a young age, that it was important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 Agreeing with the other posters here .. . My experience with most SS classes has been that they are dumbed down, repetitive, glitzy, cartoonish, and lack depth. I have directed SS programs at two churches. At both churches I made a point of training the teachers in inductive method and in solid Bible study skills. In the course of the training, I also teach them to sift out what is superfluous in the curriculum and to add to it so that the kids are digging into the Scriptures with depth. I have found that children respond with enthusiasm to meaty Bible studies. This has been the case with everyone from semi-literate urban children to white collar church kids. A fabulous book that breaks this down really well is Follow Me As I Follow Christ, by Cheryl Dunlop. I consider it a great training tool both for teachers but also for parents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadiegirl Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 We have yet to find a Sunday school program where my boys enjoy it. We live in a small town and there is a lack of interest in going to church with alot of kids in their age group(middle-school). As a result, there is this focus on "fluff" and the fun factor(which is great as I agree with the cupcake factor---I love them with extra frosting!). I think the problem is not so much the content for us as the lack of focus, respect and ability to follow the teachers' directions that cause my boys to frustrated. Lots of bad behavior that the teachers can't or won't control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhM Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 What will happen when they get to be adults and realize that church isn't a cupcake? Will they stay for the protein or go elsewhere for their sugar fix? :hurray: Well said. This is a sentiment I've struggled with over the years as SS coordinator at our church. We've come to the conclusion that if we're able to mentor a small group into a lifetime faith rather than entertain a larger group, we're satisfied. (And by the looks of our teenagers right now, we're thinking it's a good strategy.) The funny thing about not having a hoo-rah, cupcake type SS? It's not the kids who object; it's the parents! They see their friends bragging about the multi-media SS their kids go to with the praise band and prizes each week, and they start to wonder what our kids are misssing. The kids, on the other hand, love to come to Sunday School and sing the goofy songs and hear that Jesus loves them. They love to be with the friends they've made who are more like family, and spend time with their teachers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erica in PA Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 If you send your children to Sunday School, what do you expect out of it? Why do you send them? Is it because it is the "right thing to do," or because they are getting some sort of benefit from it? What about if the only benefit was "socialization"? I LOVE the church we attend, but I wonder about the Sunday School aspect of it. It is very loud, very multi-media, and LOTS of kids in each class. It is supposed to be really fun, which it is, but it is kind of like a cupcake when I'd rather be serving a homemade protien bar. :lol: My kiddos also go to AWANA, where the classes are small and there are little old ladies doing Bible felt stories...and my kids LOOOOOOOOVE it. Much quieter, much more our pace. Our Sunday School program is very well done, and takes a lot of work from a lot of people.....why don't I like it? Please, I really don't want this to be a controversial thread. Just looking for opinions. Thanks! :lurk5: Our church is more like the way you described your AWANA... in fact, my 9 yos's SS teacher is in her mid-80s!!! And he says that he loves being in her class, because she just reads from the Bible and talks to the kids about what it says. Our church doesn't have a lot of frills at all, it's very bare-bones and we don't have a lot of money or expensive extras, but I love that the focus for every age group, from toddlers through adults, is very much on God's Word. So my expectations for SS are that my children will be taught about the Bible, and grow in their understanding of God and His Word. I also like the fact that they form relationships with their teachers and the other children, but that is secondary to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Katia Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 When my dc were very, very young, I sent them to SS. They liked the arts and crafts part, and enjoyed playing/socializing with the other kids. By the time they were 14, 10 and 7 we had moved to another state and the new church was very, very, very small. For most of their childhood, they were the ONLY dc in SS. So.....I didn't send them. They got more out of our Bible studies here at home. I didn't much care that dh is the pastor and people just 'expected' my kids to be at SS. Too bad. My only teen left at home still doesn't go to SS. There are now 2-3 other teens that show up....but when they don't come, the teen SS class is canceled, and since we never know when they will come or not, dd just doesn't go at all. She is fine with this and I am fine with this. She still goes to church. Actually, she plays the piano for the services! We just don't stress over SS. My dh has always felt SS was unBiblical anyhow, since the Bible stresses that parents are responsible for teaching their dc. It doesn't mention anything about SS. YMMV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhM Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 A fabulous book that breaks this down really well is Follow Me As I Follow Christ, by Cheryl Dunlop. I consider it a great training tool both for teachers but also for parents. Thank you for the recommendation - I'll be checking it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelaNYC Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 My kids go to Catholic CCD on Sunday mornings - so that's "Sunday School" for them. It's right after mass. It is broken into grades (that follow their school grades) and is mainly instruction that leads them toward completing Sacraments (First Holy Communion in 2nd grade and Confirmation after 7th grade). Each class has about 15-20 kids. It's fun, but rigorous. There's homework and tests and it's schoolish. But it's only an hour a week and the kids enjoy it for the most part. They do crafts and have holiday parties as well. Dd (13 and making her Confirmation next month) has just volunteered to aide in the 7th grade class (along with one of her best friends). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petepie2 Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 (edited) I teach Sunday School (4th-6th grade) at our church. We use the Children Desiring God curriculum (reformed perspective--from John Piper's ministry), which is very meaty. It covers doctrine so well, I think many adults would benefit from sitting through the classes. Our Sunday School time has no frills, just interactive discussion between teacher and students. We also memorize verses together and practice looking up verses. The curriculum has nice illustrations that the kids seem to enjoy. It also emphasizes parental involvement and includes parent resource pages for each week that describe the lesson and suggest activities or things to discuss during the week that reinforce the lesson. As to why we attend Sunday School (other than the fact that I teach)....well, it's just part of our church culture, so to speak. We go to a Baptist Church where there are classes for everyone (adults included) an hour or so before our worship service begins. So, Sunday School is not something for kids to do while the adults are in the worship service. If it were that way, our kids wouldn't go and they would sit in the service with us. Also, if our church's Sunday School time was primarily about entertainment and games, we probably wouldn't send our children. I'm thankful our church isn't that way. However, if our church decided one day we were going to stop having Sunday School, then we would just continue what we already do at home. It's our responsibility to disciple our children regardless of whether they attend Sunday School or not. Edited October 4, 2009 by petepie2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in St Louis Posted October 4, 2009 Author Share Posted October 4, 2009 Thanks so much for the answers, everyone (even the PM -- thanks!). :D To clarify, we go to Sunday School the hour before church, and then we all go to church together. Thus, they are getting the "protien bar" there as well as at home. :) It has been very interesting to read everyone's comments and thoughts. I think I feel better just knowing that I'm not the only one that has ever questioned it. I feel "weird" a lot. I'm thankful this is not one more thing to lump into my ever-growing "weird category!" :lol: Thanks! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 At my church, Sunday School is after the church service, so it's an added bonus. Our curriculum is written by a group of church members and is approved by the elder board. It's definitely not dumbed down, but it is age appropriate. It's almost a continuation of the sermon. While SS normally isn't on the same topic as the sermon (although, it can be), the depth of the teaching is on par with the sermon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetTN Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 What will happen when they get to be adults and realize that church isn't a cupcake? Will they stay for the protein or go elsewhere for their sugar fix? Excellent question. I've seen the sugar fix win out too many times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet in WA Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 (edited) Honestly? We never expected great things from our sons' Sunday school(s). Sometimes we were pleasantly surprised, but most of the time just not as disappointed as we would have been had we expected more. Even when I was the teacher of a class, I wasn't always satisfied. There were often issues involving some of the students, some of the parents, mediocre materials, etc. that kept the experience from being what it should have been. Edited October 4, 2009 by Janet in WA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meldamo Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 I started offering a second Sunday School hour at my church for those who wanted something more academic and in-depth. I did it primarily for my own children and then figured there would be others who felt the same way. Some now send their children to two hours of Sunday School (9:45 and 11). My son now goes to service with me at 9:45 and then Sunday School with me at 11. I just figure that if you want something done a certain way, you probably should consider doing it yourself. This is my second year of using Veritas Press for Sunday School. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyWImom Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 :iagree: We believe it's our responsibility to disciple our kids ourselves. Sunday school is a fun "extra" that helps review and reinforce what we do at home. :iagree::iagree::iagree:Couldn't have said it better myself! Plus, they are our church family, so I want my dc to feel at home their, as well as get to know everyone. As they get older, they will participate in the youth groups, etc... and I think it's good to form friendships for them now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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