Christ Teachings

The sole purpose of Sunday school is to teach children and young people about God, His Word and His will for their lives. As they study the Bible they learn about creation, how sin entered the world, why we need a Saviour, how God sent his only Son to redeem us etc.

The Bible tells us what is right and what is wrong. The right way to go and what happens if we go the wrong way. It gives examples of people who did what was right in God

When most teachers, parents, and administrators think of school safety plans they usually think of emergency procedures. Emergency procedures, such as the proper way to exit during a fire drill, are an important part of school safety, but schools should have school safety plans for other occasions as well. They should have plans in place for what to do when a large number of their students fall ill. They should also have safety procedures for picking up students from school. Schools should teach their staff what to do in the event that a dangerous person enters the school grounds.

When designing school safety plans, remember to consider unforeseen events, such as mass outbreaks of an illness. When will you send students home? When will you close the school? How will you clean it to ensure that students will remain healthy when they return? These are all important considerations.

Safety procedures for picking up students from school are essential in today’s society. Unfortunately, there are many situations in which a parent or family member is not authorized to pick up students from school. For this reason, schools need to know exactly who has permission to pick up students, and they need to ensure that no one that is not authorized does so.

Finally, take some time to talk to your teachers about what to do if a dangerous person comes on campus. For instance, you might instruct your teachers to lock themselves and their students inside their classrooms out of sight of windows in this type of situation. School shootings are a very real fear for parents, teachers, and students alike, and having a plan in place for dealing with this situation should it occur will help these individuals stay calm in the face of danger.

By: Cary Bergeron

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Teachers will tell you over and over the importance of getting to know parents. They can make or break your relationship with their child, because it is their responsibility to get their child to Sunday school each week! Contacting parents early on in the sessions opens the door to good communication throughout

the year. This good communication will encourage parents to make sure their child are in attendance each week. Supportive parents are also a great resource to help in the teaching and implementation of different ideas presented during Sunday school.

Teachers often forget the role that parents play in the development of their children’s spiritual lives. Ultimately, parents are the most important role model and influencer on their children lives. It is doubly important then for you, as a teacher and supplement to the education the children receive at home, to create and maintain a good relationship with those parents.

To create a good relationship with parents, there are several things you can do. During the first few weeks of the session, make a personal phone call home to talk to the parents about their child. Praise something unique that their child has done, such as, “Sally behaved so well in class last week, she got a reward!” or “John was extremely helpful in setting up the classroom for the day’s activity. I couldn’t have done it without him!” This will help parents to feel that their child is engaged, happy, and important to the overall classroom.

Also, newsletters are a great way to stay in contact with parents. Send home a short newsletter once a month telling parents what events have just passed and what events are coming up. Let them know the lesson plans you have and the Bible passages that go along with the lessons, so that interested parents can read through the passages with their children before or just after the session. This is a good way for you to get extra help driving the ideas home to the children. Repetition is key to understanding, and if you can aid parents in repeating the lessons you have just imparted, the children will come back the

next session with a deeper understanding of the previous week’s lesson.

Schedule a meeting with all parents at the beginning of the sessions. When you have everyone together, tell them about yourself, your experience working with Sunday school or any other teaching setting, and tell them about your plans and goals for the year. Ask for their help and opinions. Parents know their children best, so take their advice and concerns seriously. Ask parents to contact you if something major changes in their home life that might affect their children. Often, you will notice a change in children, but without an involved parent to let you know the situation, you will not know the reason behind the change in behavior. Creating a relationship where parents feel comfortable sharing that information will help you and them, because it will better equip you to handle any changes in their child.

When dealing with parents, it also helps to have a documented log of any problems you have experienced with a child. If you jot down days and events when things have gone wrong, it will give you a better view of the entirety of a problem.

When you have to contact a parent about bad behavior, or perhaps when you meet with them for periodic conferences, you will have a record of any issues you have dealt with regarding their child. Parents often do not believe that their children are causing problems, so if you can show them a detailed account of each incident, they will be much more likely to believe you and give support in disciplining their child. This usually will not be a problem because of the environment of Sunday school, but you will always have problem children that you must handle. It is always easier to deal with these children with the help of their parents. Otherwise, the parents are likely to withdraw their child from your sessions or tell them that they need to continue going but provide no other support, leading the child to believe the sessions are worthless, and continuing the cycle of disruptive behavior.

Julia Shipley is a committed Christian and loves to teach young people the word of God. For more information visit http://www.quick-christian-resources.com

Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” From experience of going to Sunday School as a child, through my teenage years and now as a youth worker, little seems to have changed. We are in danger of translating the above verse to “Sunday School the same yesterday, today and forever.” Without change there may not be a Sunday School tomorrow.

The Sunday School movement as a whole throughout the world has focused on teaching the Good News of Jesus Christ. Telling the well known bible stories like Daniel in the Lion’s Den and David and Goliath. This is the part of Sunday School that must not change, that of the Good News – Jesus Christ died for our sins and he defeated the power of sin and death by rising to eternal life. Through this risen life we have hope that we too can have eternal life. That message remains the same yesterday, today and forever.

What we need to think about is the way the content of our faith is delivered or taught. It should be different from 30-40 years ago and tomorrow’s technology will change it again. As language, images, culture and other influences come into our lives it changes how we reach a new generation. A generation that will understand and embrace what is being taught.

Over the years teaching methods have changed from lecturing through to discussion. Yet another method was to combine teaching with activity. Learning centres, where boys and girls rotate, teachers taking responsibility for one particular centre. This can be utilised for groups across the age spectrum and is particular helpful in smaller congregations.

Some questions to ask yourself are:

How has the teaching message changed in the Sunday School you attend?

If you teach how have your methods changed over the years?

What teaching methods do you think will be used tomorrow?

What do you think teaching in the Sunday School will look like tomorrow?

The inventions or creations that have had the greatest impact on our world are:

1) Language – the ability to communicate one with another and to understand each other.

2) The printing press – enabled mass production of books and literature which led to increased

knowledge and education for the average person. The bible was made available for people

to read God’s word for themselves.

3) Knowledge – the explosion of the computer with internet connection. Most people now have

a computer in their home. Children use it at school and college. The internet is second

nature to young people and they use it in ways the older generation are just learning about.

The story was told of the President of a seminary college who had tried to get his son to read the bible. However, he was not interested. So one day he purchased an electronic bible from a Christian bookshop. Whilst he had no idea how to use it he gave it his son saying “Here is something you might like to use.” Once his son had started to use it, his father couldn’t get it out of his hands. He started to study and learn bible verses asking his father questions as he read the different passages. His father had found the key which unlocked the method of learning his son understood and enjoyed.

How many of us have computers? How many of us have computers in our church? Has the computer had an impact on your Sunday School yet? As our children and young people use computers in the home and at school, can we use it as a tool in Sunday School? The knowledge explosion has only just begun and has not really impacted us yet, but this may well create changes for the Sunday School of tomorrow.

The content of our teaching – the Good News of Jesus Christ should not change. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. The task is to effectively communicate to children and young people this message in a way that they understand. This will mean changing the teaching method of today and particularly for tomorrow. Are you ready?

Julia Shipley is a committed Christian and loves to teach young people the word of God. For more information visit http://www.quick-christian-resources.com

Hebrews 13:8,

Teaching can be a challenge, and that is especially true when you have preschoolers. A classroom full of preschoolers can be a daunting task. You must keep them under control, keep them safe and happy, and try to squeeze in your weekly Sunday school lesson as well. You know that preschoolers have short attention spans, so you will want to make the most out of your lessons. One way to do this is through object lessons. What are object lessons? Read on to learn more.

Object lessons are classroom lessons that use something physical to show the consequences of certain behaviors. Or in other words, these lessons are used to serve as an example about certain behaviors. These are often quite effective when teaching Bible lessons during Sunday school. Children are often visual learners and reading a lesson out loud does not always effectively teach. A simple lecture may not stimulate the children or may not make the impact you had hoped. Using something they can touch and see will bring home the lesson or moral you want to teach.

There is one word of caution on using object lessons with preschoolers. You do not want to scare or intimidate preschoolers, so you want to make sure that the lessons are lighthearted and fun. When you use object lessons correctly with your preschoolers, they are useful tools. Look around you for everyday objects that you can use for these lessons, such as blankets, familiar toys, or common household items.

If you are wondering how you can use object lessons, then here are some suggestions. First of all, read your weekly Bible lessons and find out what moral you are trying to teach the children. Then, look around you for everyday objects that can help you explain and illustrate your lesson. For example, if you want to teach your child that friendships grow with nurturing, then you can take two potted flowers. Have the children care for one of the flowers, but not the other. Soon, they will see that something that is cared for properly will grow and flourish. The thing that is not cared for will wither away and die.

Object lessons do not have to be too involved or complicated to make a big impact on your children. You can use anything from flannel boards, to pictures that the children illustrate, to hand puppets to make a lesson come alive. Children may hear the lesson you are teaching, but it may mean little. When you show them through object lessons, it suddenly comes alive and has more value and meaning.

Denise Oliveri has been teaching Sunday School for the past 13 years. She is the owner of Preschool Sunday School Central, a leading online resource for preschool Sunday School teachers.

Stop by Preschool Sunday School Central and see the array of free resources that are available to members. Join today for a free preschool curriculum!

What does the future hold for Sunday School? It

Common opinion is that Sunday school is in decline. Increasingly we read of declining attendance, churches eliminating Sunday school, closing them through the summer holiday period. Walk into any Christian bookstore and you will find many books showing statistics on the decline of Sunday school and the lack of biblical knowledge amongst the population. Books on how to revitalize your Sunday school are big sellers. The most popular workshops at our conventions are those that tell us how to see growth and renewal in this area of church life.

Obviously we do have problems in Christian education. Many people are concerned and want to do something about it. But the danger is we have developed a “maintenance mind-set” in our approach. Our time is consumed with “ought” and “should.” We “should” fix up our property and more people will come. We “ought” to get a new curriculum that is more effective and appealing. We “should” get more socially involved in the community, inviting them to church. We “ought” to advertise through different media then they will come.

I am sure you can think of many other things we “should” and “ought” to do. The problem is all these things keep us busy in the planning and discussion meetings, but, does this busy work have any impact on God’s people? Will it change lives? Will troubled souls be comforted? Will God’s love be shared? Will people be interested in coming to Sunday school to spend time with these maintenance concerns?

What we need to do is get “mission minded” as history clearly shows this is what is most successful. When we reach out to a needy world of hurting people telling them the message of Jesus Christ. When we tell them of his death and resurrection we embody a first century Christian spirit, centring our attention on God and His action in the world. Keeping our eyes firmly on God’s presence and ministry is our first priority and everything else will fall into place.

People today are increasingly making it clear that they desire more spirituality in their lives. They are seeking to know the meaning of life. They are seeking support in times of trouble, personally and in times of national crisis. Support generally as they journey though life. What are we going to do to help them? Are we going to continually get distracted putting our emphasis on the “should” and “ought” of our maintenance minded approach to Sunday school? Which does nothing to share God’s message of love and at worst serves only to rearrange the chairs for a continually declining group.

Our maintenance approaches have been showing little fruit. Perhaps it is time to return to a sense of mission and renewed emphasis on sharing God’s love in today’s world.

Julia Shipley is a committed Christian and loves to teach young people the word of God. For more information visit http://www.quick-christian-resources.com

So, you are about to open the doors of the school after a long summer break. Do you know for sure that your school is safe? Do you have a school safety mission statement ready to present to your staff during in-service? One way to make sure everything is as safe as possible is to go down a school safety checklist and evaluate any changes that need to be made.

First, start with the entrance to your school. This area should be well lit to allow students to see where they are walking. Also, exit lights need to be working so that students can find exits in emergencies. Mats should be on the floor to keep it from becoming slippery in wet weather. The doors should be made of safety glass. Steps, handrails, and thresholds should all be secure and in good repair. There should be no obstructions in the way of the entrance to the school.

Next, move to the hallways and any stairs in your school. Again, make sure these are properly lit. Stairways need to have nonskid treads applied and in good repair. No obstacles should be in the hallways or on the stairs. If you have lockers, make sure that they are secure.

Finally, move to the classrooms. Make sure that the equipment, such as desks, tables, and chairs, are all in good condition with no sharp or protruding edges. Check the floor to make sure there are no tripping hazards. Make sure all extension cords are used properly. Also ensure that there is enough room between pieces of furniture to allow students to make a quick exit when needed.

Once you have gone through your school safety checklist, you are ready to face your staff members. Create a school safety mission statement that the staff members can refer to. Remember, your goal is to keep your students safe so that they can properly learn while they are at school.

By: Cary Bergeron

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A recent survey gave an insight into the problems that face the local Sunday school. Here are some of those problems with possible solutions.

Lack of good Sunday school literature and resources.
Its hard to believe that some schools have a problem with all the resources available today, from denominational and independent sources. If you are not happy with what is provided for you don

Have you ever stopped to think about why your church has a Sunday school?
It is the wish of most of us to see Sunday school grow and expand, but before we can se such growth, we need to take time out to think about our purpose and goals for our Sunday school.

During the past 20 years, the overall Sunday school attendance has been in decline. It has been estimated that this decline means that today roughly one in three persons attends church, but only about one in nine attends Sunday school.

In spite of the decline in Sunday school, many surveys tell us there is a need and hunger for spiritual guidance in today’s society. A recent survey undertaken by the Princeton Religion Centre asked teenagers what they would like to study and discuss. The top three responses were 64% – “Is there really a God”, 56% – “What is the meaning of my life?”, 55% – “Is there really a heaven or hell?”. All have significant religious implications.
Another survey found that 46% of all adults had at least one problem or question for which there was no answer or solution.

The Bible has the answer to any problem or question that any of us might have about living our lives in the way God wants. For the person who doesn’t know the Bible well or how to apply it to their lives finding these answers can be difficult. That is exactly where Sunday school should come in.
It is necessary for us to meet the needs of the people of our churches and communities. Establishing goals for our Sunday schools is an important way for us to lay a foundation for growth, both in attendance and in spiritual commitment to our Lord.

Here are several important goals to consider:-
1. Help persons of all ages learn God’s Word and how to apply it to their lives. A primary goal of any Sunday school should be to help people learn what the Bible says. In addition, we should strive to help everyone learn how to apply the Bible to their own lives. Teaching them to ask “What is God saying to me” and how can I apply His Word and His will for me to my life. Understanding the scriptures and memorising them can help with this.

2. Evangelization. The main goal of any church and certainly its Sunday school should be to see that everyone comes to know the Lord Jesus as their personal Saviour. The Sunday school should provide a unique opportunity for everyone to learn, in depth, what it means to become a Christian and follower of Christ. It is in the Sunday school setting that we have the opportunity to show and share our love for the Lord. We can give personal testimony of our own Christian walk to help lead others to Christ. Teachers should be reminded of the eternal importance of salvation and urged to make opportunities for commitment to Christ a regular part of their class time.

3. Provide opportunities for Christian fellowship. No man is an island, it’s hard to be a Christian on your own. That’s why it is important to be part of a church, the “family of God.” Knowing that others have faced similar problems and that they have found the answers in the Bible and in Jesus Christ, is an important part of Sunday school. Fellowship events and activities for individual classes are so important. The fact is that most Christians say they don’t have Christian friends that they can talk to and confide in. Getting to know each other in Sunday school can be extremely important for everyone.

4. Provide opportunities for Christian service. Results of a survey undertaken a few years ago said that over half of the persons who were first involved in service to the church later became involved in the Sunday school. Although this statistic may not be the same for all churches today, it certainly indicates the potential importance of the Sunday school to the overall program of the church. Sunday schools and individual classes can provide many opportunities for members to serve their Lord and their fellowman within the church and the community.

5. Provide opportunities for spiritual growth. It’s a rule of nature – if something stops growing, it will soon die. The same rule applies to our churches and Sunday schools – if they stop growing spiritually, they are in danger of dying. For Sunday school to grow to remain vibrant, relevant and alive, it must have teachers, leaders and members who are excited about learning more of Jesus Christ, His Word and His will for their lives. They must be excited about sharing the “Good News” that they have found for their lives with others. Sunday schools that work to promote the spiritual growth of their members will surely find the added bonus of an increase in attendance, too.

6. To be part of the overall growth, outreach and mission of the total church.
What should be our top priority? The church? The Sunday school? No, Jesus Christ should come first! He is the foundation for the total program, outreach and ministry of any church and Sunday school. The total church program should work together in harmony. For each ministry has its own purpose which is different, the worship team has one purpose, the Youth team has a purpose etc. However, even with the different methods and purposes of each part, they should all be working together for the One who is our primary focus, Jesus Christ!

Examine the purposes and goals that you have established for your Sunday school. Make sure your teachers, leaders and members are fully aware of these purposes and goals. Then make sure your program is structured to establish those purposes and pursue your goals. A clearer vision of whom we are and where we want to go can help every Sunday school establish a firm basis for growth, to the Glory of God!

By: Juliamay

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Julia Shipley is a committed Christian worshipping and serving in her local church. She has a heart for the young children and the youth believing the word of God is the final authority. For information regardingSunday school lessons and other Bible stories visit www.quick-christian-resources.com

Older adults in the church can be a tremendous blessing, especially in Sunday school. An older man was heard to say, “I have retired from church work” after being asked to serve on a committee for his church.

Some older adults because of physical or other limitations are not able to serve. The Bible has many examples of people serving well into their old age – Abraham, Moses, Gideon, David and Paul to mention a few.

The Bible says much about serving the Lord and our fellow man. Psalm 100:2 – “serve the Lord with gladness” and Galatians 5:13 “serve one another.”

The largest adult population in most churches are the 55 plus age group. These people have a wealth of talents, special abilities and life experience that they could bring to Sunday school as leaders and teachers of young people and children. Yet in most instances this valuable resource is overlooked!

The reasons for older adults not getting involved are wide and varied. Let’s examine some of them now, with a view to helping Sunday schools utilise this valuable resource.

• Older members are reluctant to volunteer, even if they would like to be involved. They may feel they should step aside for younger people.

• Some doubt their own abilities, are their methods of teaching “out of date”

• Some question their ability to relate to a younger generation.

• Reluctance from Sunday school leaders to ask those that have given considerable time in the past. They perhaps feel they have done their part and don’t like to bother them.

It is possible for older members to feel lonely and unimportant so as a church we owe it to them and ourselves to involve them in the work of Sunday school. Some of the important qualities that church leaders can overlook are:

• Retired people can often have more time to prepare for lessons and take an interest in younger members.

• Older members generally have “life experiences” that can be shared with younger people.

• In today’s society where the family unit can be split, children and young people may not get exposure to an older generation. So it is helpful for them to see the Christian life from a different perspective.

Sunday school work offers the older members a chance to serve the Lord, as long as they are able, and the advantage of sharing their faith with younger members.

It is important for Sunday school leaders to remind and encourage older adults of their talents and abilities that can be used for service. Not forgetting to tell them how much they are appreciated. Older workers are one of the greatest resources available to our Sunday schools today. Utilising their skills and talents, to the glory of God, should be a continuing goal of every Sunday school.

Julia Shipley is a Christian author and writer for more information visit http://www.quick-christian-resources.com for printable material for use in the home or Sunday school.

When most of us think of school safety, we think of traditional schools that are attended through the week. However, Sunday school is another time when parents and teachers need to be concerned with safety. Sunday school safety is as important as any other type of school safety, because the lives and health of children are what is being protected.

First, protect your students by making sure that there is enough staff in each classroom. Sunday school safety protocols should require two adults in each Sunday school classroom. Also, superintendents can monitor the classes throughout the Sunday school time.

While the event of a fire or other emergency is highly unlikely during Sunday school, teachers should be taught how to properly evacuate in this event. The most important aspect to proper emergency evacuation procedures is taking count of all of the students in the class. Sunday school teachers need to have a way to account for each child they have in their room.

It never fails that some time during the Sunday school lesson a child will need to use the restroom. While it may be tempting for Sunday school teachers to let the child to go the restroom unattended, this can be dangerous. One of the staff members who is not actively teaching should take the child to the restroom. If this is not possible, two children should go together so that no child is left alone.

Finally, an important aspect of Sunday school safety, as with any type of school safety, is the way the children are dismissed after the class is finished. While parents may not want to come and get their children after Sunday school, it is important that children are not dismissed without a parent or guardian. If there is a children’s church class after Sunday school, the teacher should accompany the children to their next class. By taking these steps in your Sunday school, you will ensure that the children are safe and well cared for while in your care.

By: Cary Bergeron

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