Dear BPCWAians, This week, we continue to look at our Children Sunday School ministry. I remember some visitors previously who were keen for their children to attend Sunday School because they regarded it as somewhat of a child care cum tuition program where children would learn some basic interpersonal and discipline skills, while perhaps picking up English at the same time. But these are not the reasons why we run the Sunday School.

Continuation of worship. The reason for the Sunday School ministry is to teach our children the Scriptures that will help them to worship God, trust, and obey Him. Our focus is imparting the knowledge of God to the children because it is an extension of worship for them. Giving them the Word of God as part of continuing in worship apart from the adults is always our primary priority and aim. That is why the children attending should be able to sit still, and have some understanding of what is taught. When children leave the Worship Service in an orderly manner, it is not for their own informal “play time”. It is hence very crucial that parents reinforce to their children that they are continuing to worship God in learning about Him during the Sunday School time, not leaving for a play group or chit chat time. Therefore, it is important that parents ask their children what they learned during their respective lessons.

Ensuring students learn about God. As children grow, their vocabulary and their ability to understand concepts develop. Bright as some of them may be, the younger ones would still find it hard to understand the sermon that is preached over the pulpit. Children do have different abilities to understand things as compared to adults (1 Cor 14:20). So, what should parents do during this time? The option is either to just let the child daydream during this time, or to keep the children entertained with their own books. Both of these inculcate bad habits about worship as the children grow. During our Sunday School program, children who leave the sanctuary go to classes where they will learn about God at the appropriate levels. We are not a secular school, so the number of classes now and in future will always depend upon both the availability of suitable teachers as well as the number of children.

The teachers’ responsibility. How well the children learn depend very much on the teachers. While it is the primary responsibility of parents to teach their children at home, parents who send their children off to Sunday School classes must have the assurance that they will be taught by teachers who set good examples for the students, and will help inculcate beliefs that are consistent with our church’s faith. So, starting this year, teachers will be required to sign an affirmation of this. Also, to ensure that teachers continue to grow together with the rest of the church, they are expected to listen to the Sunday sermons that they have missed while teaching. This commitment will be signed by all who teach God’s Word (during Sunday School, or other Bible Studies, or speak at the Nursing Homes). While the primary role of the teachers will be to help the students understand the respective lessons, teachers are also expected to correct misbehaviour during the classes. This is necessary because these classes are an extension of Worship Service, and proper respectful behaviour befitting of the worship of God must be maintained. By doing so also, the learning of other students will not be adversely affected by others’ misbehaviour. This training to sit still and learning to worship must begin with the parents in the cry-room, and is only reinforced by teachers in the Toddler class.

Having understood that Sunday School is for the children to continue in their worship of God in receiving His Word at their level, may parents and teachers pray that every child entrusted into our homes and church may grow and wax strong in spirit (Luke 1:80) and be trained to worship God in spirit and in truth.

Yours in our Lord’s service

Pastor