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Friends United Meeting |
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June 2001
A Firm Foundation for the Children
By Sandy Davis
Jesus loves me, this I know...for the Bible tells me so. But who will read the Bible to our children and teach them the lessons so they will know?
What is hurting our church today? Why is it not growing and reaching more and more families and unreached peoples? Is it poor leadership? Does the world pull us away from the church? Or is it because our children are not effectively taught at home and in Sunday School so they develop the knowledge and spiritual discipline necessary to carry GodŐs Word into the future?
As young children in the 40s and 50s, we had little else to occupy our minds and hearts other than our home and the church. Nowadays there are many interruptions taking the place of Christian teachings in the home. In America, it is unlawful to teach Christianity on any level in the schools, and the church is often more interested in having a fellowship hall, a gym for recreation, speakers to entertain the congregation, etc., than in the conscientious effort to teach children the basics of Christian faith.
Children are fertile soil for God's Word. They love the stories of people in the Bible when they are taught with enthusiasm. Easily they learn that because David trusted God completely he was able to face the giant. So too, we can face giants in our lives when we trust in this same everlasting God. Oh, how they love to hear of the fierce storm which frightened the disciples until Jesus Himself calmed the wind and waves! They have fears and want to hear how they can be protected from worries. And Daniel in that den of hungry lions can convince them God will watch over and stand beside them when they are determined to do what is right in the face of adversity.
Aesop's fables and legendary stories can support good virtues, but only the stories from the Bible can offer the constant, reassuring faith that God exists and is with those who put their trust in Him. Lessons from the Bible are constant, good and true for each of our lives, never change and never will because the Author of the Book has not nor ever will change.
Why is it so difficult to secure Sunday School teachers for children? Some adults will say since they took care of their children, they should not have to care for children of young adults now. Others fear joining the church because they might soon be asked to teach a Sunday School class. Still others fear teaching a class because they may never be relieved of this duty once they consent. Most adults want to sit in the church service and rest. To give our children a firm foundation, those well grounded in the faith should be the teachers for these precious ones so one day they will be mature Christians.
It is good and necessary for all of us to be fed with God's Word from the inspiration given to the pastor and to have fellowship with other believers. Therefore, it should be a keen concern felt by the entire church to share the responsibility of teaching children.
Here in Kenya the National Sunday School Committee has labored over the Friends Church curriculum and has discussed the problems in the Sunday School. We face the same concerns felt in churches everywhere. After the Sunday School Conference in August 2000, each yearly meeting was asked to submit comments concerning teaching children. These were compiled into the following:
- Most teachers are committed to their teaching and have not been given recognition.
- There is little follow-up or concern from church leaders.
- There is a lack of funds for the Sunday School to purchase needed teaching materials.
- Some Sunday School teachers are not saved or spiritually stable and are not Christian role models for the children.
- Some teachers have poor communication skills.
- Many teachers do not properly plan or study their lessons ahead of the teaching hour.
- Most teachers do not use effective ways to present the lesson such as teaching aids which can be made from simple materials such as cardboard and the use of a felt pen.
- There is a lack of parental support.
- Teachers lack a love for the children which offers them a listening ear or rids them of fear to share their problems.
- Migration of people and irregular attendance causes problems in continuity.
- There is often a problem with suitable language.
These concerns could be echoed by churches around the world as they evaluate their Sunday School departments. When children are neglected in the home or in the church, they do not have a place to learn lessons from God's Word. And when they become adults, they will not be seen inside the church. They will not be serving, teaching the young, or following the ways of Christianity because they did not learn the lessons when their hearts and minds were fertile soil.
We have been commanded to pass on God's Word. Moses told the Israelites following the giving of the Law to "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." (Deuteronomy 6:7) When the people failed to effectively teach their sons and daughters, the nation suffered and came into ruin under the leadership of unbelievers. Thankfully, some were faithful and God blessed this remnant throughout the hundreds of years recorded in the Bible.
If we learn from this biblical pattern, we know our nations are headed for ruin unless we take seriously the teaching of children in our homes and in our churches. There is no other place where they can learn. These children have been entrusted to the care of parents, grandparents, and church families. Even though we may smile and outwardly accept the responsibility and challenge to nurture these little ones from the time of their dedication until maturity, we often do not take this seriously. And our homes, our communities, our churches, and our nations suffer.
For our churches to grow, a serious effort to teach children must be active. For the sake of healthy families, we must teach our children the Bible stories and the applications they offer for our lives. And for our nations around the world to live in harmony and peace, we all must know and live within the love of God, for God is love. And without God, there is no love.
Do we love our God and our children enough to take the time to give them a firm foundation in the Christian faith? "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." Colossians 3:23
Sandy Davis is now serving in Kenya as a FUM Field Staff member at Friends Theological College along with her husband Rich. She is a member of Wabash Friends, Indiana Yearly Meeting.
Copyright (c) 2001 Friends United Meeting
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