WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE BASEMENT? (ASK A SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER)

This first blog post is neither a Sunday School lesson for children nor a word for teachers! It's actually for all of your church members who are not involved in Sunday School activities. So please share it with them. Thank you!

During the worship service upstairs, Sunday School is in full swing in the basement. The singing, led by an animated guitarist and a piano accompanist, is hearty, if not always harmonious. Soon after, multiple classes and a nursery are abuzz with lessons and activities, shepherded by energetic teachers and nursery attendants. Some weeks, it appears the rooms will burst at the seams with numerous regular attendees and assorted additional newcomers, plus accompanying adults.

While you are upstairs listening to, and praying for, the speaker, please remember there are multiple “mini-sermons” going on down in the basement. Please pray for us! Here are some of our concerns, comments, and needs for your prayer support:

·         The percentage of individuals who do not yet know the Lord may be greater in the basement than upstairs. Pray that the children will come to Jesus and learn to follow Him while they are still young and tender-hearted.

·         The teachers feel a real burden for grounding students in basic Biblical truths that are already well known to the adults. Sometimes we feel inadequate for the task.

·         Teachers of younger classes are fully aware that their students may not remember much of what they are taught, and students of any age sometimes forget what the lesson was they heard just last week. Pray that the teachers won’t be discouraged by this. Repetition is key!

·         As outside influences take their toll, older students may appear less interested or more doubtful. Their teachers must be prepared for difficult questions and discussions.

·         Lesson and activity/craft planning every week takes time, something many of us don’t have a lot of.

·         Teachers may be going through difficult times themselves, but feel the need to remain upbeat and encouraging to their students even during those times.

·         Yes, sometimes teachers feel unmotivated or run out of creative ideas, but they must prepare a lesson anyway.

·         Unlike the upstairs sermon, a classroom teacher’s lesson is often interrupted by short attention spans, comments, and questions. Hard questions. Sometimes we can’t think of a good answer.

·         Parents, sometimes a lesson will remind your child of something either they - or you - said or did. And they DO blurt those things out to us. We may never tell you what your child told us, unless it’s a matter of concern that you should know. But remember, your child is watching your actions and listening to your words, even if you don’t think they noticed!

·         We often give your child a verse to memorize. But the prize bag for memorized verses is not emptying very quickly. Parents, please remember to help your children hide God’s Word in their hearts while they’re still young. It is a lifelong gift you will be giving them. (And if your child lost the verse we gave out, contact the teacher or teach him a different one. We don’t mind!)

·         Please ask your child what he/she learned in class today, and reinforce the lesson at home. This will help it “stick.”

·         Even if you don’t have a child in Sunday School, please periodically take a few minutes to come downstairs and see for yourself what’s going on in the Sunday School world below you. Ask questions and show interest in lessons and projects. You have no idea how much this encourages a teacher!

·         Kids are funny! They say outrageous things that make us laugh – and make us think. They teach us, too. We consider it both a grave responsibility and a great privilege to be their teachers, to be a part of the commission to “feed My lambs.”