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Why
do we need Sunday School?
Sunday
School started in the year 1780 in England, by a great
individual named Robert Reiks with 12 children. Now
Sunday School has spread all over the world’s
churches and it should be a never ending program.
So
then why do we need Sunday School?
Here
are some points that I’ll give you: To transform the
younger generation for Christ, the head of the church.
If you read Luke 1:66 there is a question in that
verse and it says, “What then is this child going to
be?” If I ask this question to one of our parents.
We will get unique answers. One parent might say, My
son is going to be a doctor or nurse or even a
computer science major, but do we have the eagerness
to dedicate our children for the Kingdom of God. We
all know Jesus Christ has certain expectations about a
child and He expects to make progress in their
spiritual life. HOW CAN WE PREPARE THEM FOR GOD’S
KINGDOM? Sunday School is the nursery of our church.
It needs the essential training and care to confirm
them in Christ. We can summarize the effectiveness of
Sunday School in three words. Know, Grow and Glow!
Knowing what, Growing with whom and Glowing where.
The
children have to know and understand in Sunday School,
that God is Almighty and the creator of all things.
Teaching them Jesus Christ is the Son of God and our
Savior. Conform and Strengthen them in the Holy
Spirit, who leads us for all the truth. All religions
in this world are very particular to pass on their
faith to future generations. Think as ourselves, as
families, as a church, how much are we interested in
exchanging our creed or faith to our children. What
about our homes? Are our homes set apart for the
purpose of God. There is a saying, Charity begins at
home. Christian education is originated from the Jews
education, that is why we can see lot of Hebrew
influence in Christian education. We know that there
were no schools in the early ages. Then how did Jews
teach laws to their children. Read Ps. 78:1-7; Deu.
6:7. We see a responsibility of a parent to their
children. Parents are the prime teachers of Sunday
School. An infant child begins learning from the An
infant child begins learning from the mother’s lap.
In child psychology, it says the life begins before
five years of age. Let us think in this very busy life
of ours, are we paying any attention to the very
important spiritual needs of a child. This only can be
accomplished by a Teacher in a Parent. So let the
children know, as we see in John 14:6, that He is the
Way, Truth and the Life.
What
about growing: Parents are very conscious about the
physical growth of a child, like visiting a doctor. We
are making an appointment with that doctor, but
whatabout making an appointment with Jesus Christ for
their spiritual growth. Are we making it or can we
make it? Yes, we can. To grow in Christ, we have to
maintain certain disciplines:
1.
Having family prayers at our homes, coming together
attending church services to pray. Prayers are very
important to build personal relationships with God.
2.
Regular readings of the Word of God, you could read it
at any time, make it as a practice.
3.
Giving up bad practices so you could grow in Christ.
The bad practices are: not honoring your parents, not
respecting elders, and not listen to Pastor.
Maintaining these disciplines we all could grow in
Christ.
What
about glowing: The meaning of the word glow is to
shine. According to the Scriptures, every child is an
exhibitionist. If you read Numbers 8, Moses instructed
Aaron to set seven lamps of lamp stand in the
Tabernacle, so the light can be shown “outward.”
I’m sure that is what Jesus had in mind when He
said, “Let your light shine before men, that they
see your good works and glorify your father.” The
children are to exhibit the glory of God, and the only
way they can do it to let that glory be transmitted
through them. The light also can be hidden. Jesus
urged us not to put our light “under a bushel.”
The children must be exposed: they must be set free to
shine in public. The light can also be extinguished.
The natural enemy of light is not only darkness, but
also water and wind. We must not “quench the
spirit” which is another way of saying that we must
keep our light fed with oil. We must not let it blown
out by the winds of disobedience to Gods will. Turn
the light outward through our children. Not the
doubting, hesitating, fearful but the
spirit-controlled, joyful, then we shall become a
child of God and shine as a light in the dark world.
My
dear friends and children, by knowing him, growing in
him, and glowing through him our Sunday School be a
blessing to the Social, Cultural, and Spiritual growth
of the entire society. May God bless us all. Amen.
Source
: https://www.angelfire.com/ab/fullgospel/articles.html
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