There are four or five regular blog readers who are teaching in the Ontario school system. They may not have time to peruse this entry because they are busily back in the classroom. At least one reader is in a new school this year, another challenge. I hope this is a good year for all of you, in this extremely important role. Thank you for your work.
We will soon be resuming Sunday School as well, after a successful Vacation Bible School in August. We are fortunate to have a dedicated Christian Development committee at St. Paul's, and teachers who give willingly of their time. Of course we are also blessed with children, given that many congregations no longer have a full Sunday School program, or any program for that matter.
You may not know that Sunday Schools began as essentially a social justice program in 18th century Britain. In the late 1700's Sunday Schools were developed to provide basic education for poor children who were already in the workforce. They were part Christian formation, part readin' writin' and 'rithmetic. They were also a method of controlling unruly and anti-social behaviour.
Sunday schools provided an alternative to Sunday rowdiness. The schools would also teach proper behaviour, enforcing cleanliness, providing Sunday clothing, and reprimanding children for lying, swearing, talking in an indecent manner, or other misbehaviour.
Every once in a while there are discussions about the effectiveness and future of Sunday School, and even calls to move on to another approach. I feel that it is still an important opportunity to learn the essentials of our Christian story, and to learn basic values related to our faith in the company of others.
What are your thoughts?
4 comments:
I had never really thought about the origins of Sunday School, always just assuming it was a solution to the "attention factor"(or lack there of) of young active minds. It reminds me some of the current stories I hear from a friend who is quite involved in the Salvation Army Sunday School. They have a van that goes out and picks up kids that have been identified by their family service(?) division, and bring them to Sunday School and provide breakfast and faith learning and a safe, loving environment each week...for them Sunday School seems still to be a very much a social justice issue. Our Vacation Bible Camp has similar advantages with kids from all over the community returning year after year, many of them facing lots of life's tougher challenges already.
I guess I've always wanted our kids to know that they are a part of something much bigger than themselves and Sunday School offers them those great lessons, along with the great comfort of a loving community. And Sunday School, in many churches, has come a long way on the fun factor mixxing up crafts and games and cooking and drama and music as ways of teaching God's Word.
I think the positive ripple effects of our Sunday Schools may be underestimated in our world.
I did know the origins of Sunday School.
I think Sunday School is very important and for me Sunday School was the place I could go and ask my faith questions,share my doubts and learn to put action in my faith.(I remember one instance where for several weeks, my Sunday School class went out during our lesson time and walked along the ditches and picked up the trash.) Like Laura, I am so glad that the presentation of Sunday School/church school materials has changed and developed so that it can appeal to a variety of styles of learning. But, I think many in the United Church is also missing something too. There is no Sunday School for adults - there is no place on a Sunday morning where the adults can share their questions, doubts, or put action to their faith(other than through their offering). I recognize and acknowledge that there are other programs that the church offers - bible study, movies, discussion evenings fot those things to happen but why is it that the method of preaching has not changed the same way that teaching Sunday School has? I have heard of some churches that once a year - have the children go to worship and have the adults attend Sunday School. That excites me. I have heard some excellent sermons but by not having a discussion with others and sharing my own ahas and/or questions then something in the learning and living out of my faith has been lost.
I, like Laura see Sunday School as teaching our young to care for others and to become part of a larger community. However, when one reader mentions the "fun" aspect, I am reminded of the time we were in Tobago and my parents told us we were going to Sunday School. It needs to be noted we is me and my spouse and we were in our 30s. So, Sunday night we followed my parents who led us to Sunday School. Turned out to be a huge party of steel drums, jump up music and lots of dancing and of course rum punch.
David writes: Sunday schools provided an alternative to Sunday rowdiness. The schools would also teach proper behaviour, enforcing cleanliness, providing Sunday clothing, and reprimanding children for lying, swearing, talking in an indecent manner, or other misbehaviour.
I wonder if the locals knew this story about the origins of Sunday School and so termed the weekly affair we attended, "Sunday School" in an effort to boycott the real thing, as this event could certainly become rowdy! More food for thought.
We now know that when Nancy piously informs us that she is attending Sunday School her motives and actions may not be pure!
I suppose that we could say that the Sunday School pick-ups from some denominations follow in the spirit of the original Sunday Schools. When I was in Sudbury the congregation that was closest to "inner city" realized that a number of their children arrived on Sunday mornings unfed. So breakfast became part of the Sunday School program.
I agree that Christian education is meant to be life-long learning. I see preaching and teaching as complementary aspects of faith formation. In most of the congregations I have served we have tried a version of Sunday morning adult study, with mixed success.
Thanks.
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