What happens at your church in Sunday school?

[Samiam]

So, after many many many years of not attending, DH and I have decided that our family will start going to church. Our purpose is that our children have a solid base of Christianity so that they can make their own informed decisions on religion. As it has been, DH and I attended Catholic church sporadically as children, but both choose not to follow religion as adults. We really don't know much about the Bible. We also think that perhaps the fellowship of a church family may be nice for our own family. Although we don't attend church, much of how we live our lives is very in line, morally, with Christianity

 

Our oldest did attend Awana's for 2 years at a HUGE Baptist church ( a friend had invited him and he loved it, so we let him participate). Our children have attended some amazing VBS each summer.

 

So now we are in new city. Found a few churchs that we are interested in, the non-denominational type. Seem like they have great children's programs.

 

Tried one today. DH and I were impressed with the sermon, it was NOTHING like our Catholic church experiences, so much more lively and interactive, and INTERESTING! Everyone was very friendly. The children's building was huge, nice, organized, computer sign in/out, so seemed pretty on top of it.

 

The three DS each went to a class for their age.

 

DS5 reported that he sang, ate a snack and he brought a color sheet home.

 

DS8 reported that they went to a room and sang, and then went to a room and sat and listen while someone talked. He said it was "boring".

 

DS12 went to the Student center for the middle/high school. They have a group just for 7th/8th. DS12 was the most resistant to go, so I was really hoping that he would have such an amazing experience, he would have nothing to complain about. He said there was singing (with a live band) and then they sat there and listened to talking. "Boring".

 

Is this normally what happens on a Sunday? My DH is dissappointed that they weren't more "exciting" so that our boys would look forward to going on Sunday. I am thinking that the point of Sunday school is that the children are taught about God while the adults go to the main sermon, so it's not supposed to be super-exciting like Awanas or VBS.

 

This particular church has a Wed night meeting for the 7th/8th graders where apparently the "fun" happens, but no other weekly activities for the younger children.

 

So we are thinking about we will need to try the next church on our list. But I don't want to keep church shopping, so just need an idea of what a normal Sunday school is like at your church?

[Jennifer in MI]

Ours sounds very different! Our Sunday School teachers definitely don't try to entertain. They teach.

 

We have SS at 9 am. The older kids have a wonderful teacher who really listens to them. They have a bible lesson and talk about how it applies to their daily life.

 

My youngest has a wonderful teacher. She has taught them about art and church - how to tell which saint is in art. John is often young, without a beard, and with a book in his hand. My 5 yo knows this! She can go through my art books at home and tell me who each saint is based on what she's learned! They also do a lot of memory work. There's also a craft each week.

 

Then, we all have the service at 10. There is a nursery for those under 6. And, there's a lesson/sermon that's specific to the young ones = they leave the service for about 20 minutes and come back for communion.

 

The youth group is where they all get together to be entertained. They go fun places like laser tag, the zoo, or volunteering at a homeless shelter.

[2_girls_mommy]

We attend a very small church. Well, maybe not very small. We probably have close to 200 in attendance at service some weeks. But for Sunday school, there are literally 3 girls in my youngest's K-1st class that attend regularly. So it is very sweet and personable. The girls have really gotten to grow up together.

 

Anyway, we all have sunday school, even the adults, before service. We attend a disciples group for Bible study and discussion. The kids each have their class. Then we all go to church together at 10:45. Partway through the service, before the main sermon, the children are called to the front for a "children's moment." It is a mini sermon on our day's passage. Although the volunteers try to keep it lively, it is often probably a little "boring." It is hard to be up front in front of the whole congregation. Some have a better knack for it than others.

 

Then the children up to 3rd grade are allowed to go to children's church during the sermon if they want. 4th grade and up are expected to attend big church.

 

So what do the kids do? In S.S. they have age appropriate activities and crafts and games that relate to the Bible story. We use a curriculum that has lots of ideas to make the lesson come alive for them. My kids love it.

 

During children's church, it is similar but different in focus. S.S. is for Bible study. C.C, is for worship. So the kids will do their singing and praying together in C.C. Although they will also learn their Bible verses and hear a Bible Story there too. Some of the kids don't go to S.S., and only come during service hours. I think ours complement each other, and am glad my children go to both.

Edited May 16, 2011 by 2_girls_mommy

[athena1277]

I'm currently teaching 2nd and 3rd graders at my church. We usually have a song or 2 to start (I have a few who are always late and I try not to start the lesson without them). Then we have our lesson for the day. I have the students find the passages in their Bibles and we take turns reading and discussing what happens. I try to make sure they understand what is happening and try to get them to realize they can read and understand the Bible. We are making lapbooks this quarter so after the lesson we work on something to go in them.

 

BTW, this is before the actual worship service. All the children go to the worship service after class with their families.

[AnnaM]

Ours sounds very different! Our Sunday School teachers definitely don't try to entertain. They teach.

 

 

 

:iagree:

 

We do try to do it in an engaging way, but by no means do I try to keep kids there with entertainment. I try to keep them there by teaching the Gospel to them so that they get saved and then want to return as a part of the church.

 

The kids do go to Sunday School and have age appropriate lessons. They might include a little craft, songs and other small activities. I encourage my 4th grade girls to memorize scripture and such by creating charm bracelets that we add to each week. They love it and we have been really digging into the Gospel and what it means. It has been wonderful!

 

The teens have an age appropriate sermon time. It is by no means "entertaining". They are they to be taught just as the adult Sunday class is. That doesnt mean they dont have a good time, it just means the church doesnt go out of their way to provide distractions from the purpose of being at church.

 

We do run a few bus campaigns that all the kids get to participate in. They do little after church things such as a candy rain, hamburger sunday, and so on. They are all after the services though.

 

This is a hot topic for me as so many churches have stopped depending on the Gospel and the conviction of the Holy Spirit to get people into the church. The church has more and more conformed to the world. Seeker friendly and virtually indistinguisable.

[QueenCat]

Our Sunday School is not at the same time as the church service. In younger kids classes (5th grade and lower), there is a mixture of Bible stories, songs, crafts related to the stories, and other activities related to the stories. Middle and high school classes are highly interactive Bible studies, as are the adult classes. Often topical, to help you relate it to your life.

[smallsteps]

We fellowship with the body of Christ in a home group right now. We had many years (for me, my whole life) as members of a larger institutional church where families separated out for Sunday School. We feel strongly that parents should teach and disciple their own children and connect with other families for accountability and fellowship, rather than send them to Sunday School.

 

During our Sunday "service" we have a teaching time with adults and children in an inductive style discussion around Scripture. The children participate as well as the adults, so they can offer their insights and hear the adults discuss even deeper truths. We find the children are learning so much this way.

 

Home churches are sprouting up everywhere, and they vary greatly in format and purpose. Just as with any church, it can be difficult to find one with a strong Biblical discipleship/spirit-filled focus. We just felt God wanted us to pull away from church programs and hierarchy and seek Him in a fresh, simple way.

 

May the Lord bless you as you seek the best place for your family!

 

~Deb in Littleton, MA

[Crispa]

Our church is rather small, and the Sunday school teachers are volunteer parents who rotate the duty, each signing up for a month or two at a time. Most of the year, we divide into three groups: preschool-K (plus maybe 1st), early elementary (or all elementary), and late elementary/middle school (or just middle school). The divisions sort of depend on how many kids we have in each age group in a particular year. In the summer, because of lower attendance, all ages come together for Sunday school. Sunday school begins halfway through the regular Sunday church service, and high school kids remain in the service with the adults.

 

All classes follow a curriculum published by the church (we're Presbyterian). The middle school lessons are pretty heavy on discussion. The elementary classes usually have a lesson based on a Bible passage: there might be a craft intended to illustrate a point, a role-playing game, a coloring page or worksheet, a snack (to illustrate serving each other, or just because it's somebody's birthday), another kind of game to illustrate the story, songs about the Bible story or theme in question, discussion throughout it all -- not ALL of those things in any one lesson, but generally a variety.

 

This is what usually happens when the parents pick up their kids: Parent: "And what did you learn in Sunday school today?" Child: "Um, I dunno. Look at my coloring page! And guess what, I had TWO brownies!!" :)

 

I view Sunday school as supplemental to my child's learning (at home and elsewhere) about Christianity. I feel the same about any other kind of school, actually! But religion in particular seems to warrant whole-life, whole-family involvement. I wouldn't expect him to gain a well-rounded appreciation for Christianity (or any other religion) with just one 30- or 60-minute lesson per week.

 

 

Edited to add: Service is where we really get into the heart of Christianity. During church clean-up days, we work with people of all ages to weed the garden or wash windows -- a great opportunity to contribute to a cause dear to us, but larger than just our own family. We volunteer (with a group from the church) at a food bank, which also gives us an opportunity to bond with the church family while demonstrating our commitment to serving others. We perform in one of the choirs -- more service, more bonding, plus contributing to worship and keeping a commitment to a group endeavor. We join interfaith events with other churches (and temples and mosques) in the area -- International Day of Peace picnics, National Day of Prayer event, etc. This month we're gathering and donating items for Foster Care Month. And so on. I guess how it works out is: on Sundays, we get the "book-learning" and offer our formal worship, which I consider very important. And then on other days, in many other ways, we learn and serve (they kind of go together) out in the world. Which I think is equally important.

Edited May 16, 2011 by Crispa

[Carol in Cal.]

We attend a Lutheran church where the Sunday school is at a different time than the Divine Service. So there is a nursery for kids 4 and under, where they are just babysat, and there are Bible class for 3 year olds through adults, age segregated. Worship is expected to be everyone together; although we do have nursery coverage then, it's mostly for visitors. Church members know that their children are encouraged and welcomed in worship.

 

Sunday school for age 3 through 8th grade starts with a short opening (15 minutes or so) in the church itself. Here the kids learn about the church year seasons, and the focus in church that day, and some of the songs/hymns of the church. Then they split into age-segregated classes to hear and discuss a Bible story at their own level. There are crafts or coloring pages coordinated with those lessons through 6th or 7th grade, and then at 6th grade or so they start to seriously study church doctrines with elders for eventual Confirmation, God willing. High schoolers have their own meetings with a Bible study leader, and adults attend the adult Bible class with the pastor.

 

In general, most children go through a period where their parents insist that they attend church and Sunday school. I don't think that this necessarily indicates failure on the part of the church, although it might. I don't think that attending church or Sunday school should be at the children's option while they are pretty young. Later, sure. It takes quite a while for some kids to grow in faith to the point where they would rather attend church than anything else. I don't think it's reasonable to wait for that; I think that as parents we have to push the issue somewhat. I also think that with repeated exposure comes comfort levels, just as with any other type of practice.

[Momling]

I teach Sunday School at a small Episcopal church. We have maybe 6 or 7 kids between age 3-10 in the same class. We use an awesome Montessori inspired curriculum called "Godly Play" which I highly recommend. It is gentle, thoughtful, and perfect for multi-age groups. If you can find a church which uses it, you might want to give it a try.