I hope you’re well. And that 2025 is a good year for you. We’ve made some important changes to our Sunday school and I want you to know what and why.
What will change?
In the past, our Sunday school children gathered in the fellowship hall before the Sunday morning service to sing, hear a Bible story, pray, and break into classes for teaching, and crafts. Going forward, our Sunday school children will join the congregation for the worship portion of the Sunday morning service. They will be dismissed before the sermon. Then, while the congregation sits under the teaching of God’s Word, they will receive age-appropriate instruction.
Why the Change?
We want to bring children closer to the life of the church during their formative years. We hope to prevent a disconnect between their worship experiences as children and their worship expectation as adults. It’s our prayer that as they grow, they will feel at home in the gathered body of Christ.
We also want to recognise that you, as parents, are the primary spiritual leaders in your children’s lives. By bringing children into the worship service, they will witness their parents and caregivers worshipping God, taking communion, singing, and praying. These practices that they witness are to be foundational to their faith.
When will we change?
This coming Sunday the children will join us in the main hall during the Sunday morning worship service. We will clearly indicate when they are to move to the fellowship hall. As a parent you’re more than welcome to guide them there, but please don’t stay. We don’t want unvetted adults to linger in the Sunday school facilities.
What stays the same?
We will continue to use the Generations of Grace curriculum. You can learn more about it here: https://gracecurriculum.org/collections/generations-of-grace. We have begun the second year of a three-year cycle. This Sunday we will look at Deuteronomy 4: God requires obedience.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 charges you as a parent, These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. We see this principle in action in 2 Timothy 1:5 and 3:15 where Timothy was taught the Scriptures by his mother and grandmother.
As we partner with you in your role as spiritual guide to your children can we ask you to do one simple task? On Sunday, over lunch, or in the car ride home, would you ask your child what they learned during Sunday school. Make this a regular conversation. This simple practice reinforces the truths they learn. And it strengthens your role as their spiritual mentor.
If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out.