Effective Sunday School Teaching

How effective is our Sunday School Teaching?

A recent survey which showed very little difference in moral actions between youth and young adults who attend church and those who do not, raises the question – Shouldn’t the people who attend church do a lot better?

Yes they certainly should! But, the fact is that much of what we teach in Sunday school and church does not translate to changes in the lives of the children and young people. They are hearing the words and even memorising scripture, but the messages are not being applied to their live so day-to-day actions are not being changed.

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Editors Note

Check out the resources for Sunday school here. Object lessons, skits, colouring pages, activities, games and recipes for 3 - 11 year olds.

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In 2 Corinthians 5:17, Paul tells us, “When anyone is joined to Christ, he is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come.” The evidence of truly effective teaching within Sunday school is in the changed lives of the children. It is true we can not bring about the changes ourselves that is up to the Holy Spirit. But as Sunday school teachers, it is important to use effective relevant teaching methods that will show the children and young people the importance of changed lives.

So why isn’t Sunday school as effective as it should be? A large part of the answer to that has to be in the way we are teaching. People do not learn in the same ways as they sis 20 to 30 years ago. Television, computers, the internet, video games etc all have an influence on how we learn, especially children and young adults.

The world has changed greatly in recent years and changes continue to take place, perhaps faster than we like. How many are still using the same methods from the 50’s and 60’s. This is not to say that it isn’t important for children to hear Bible stories and for them to learn to sit quietly and pray. These and many other things that were taught and learned in past years are still very important, it is the teaching methods that must change.

Teach Sunday school

Why Make a Sunday School Prayer Calendar?

Jesus often draw away from the crowds and his disciples to be alone with his father. If Jesus thought it important to pray so should we. Martin Luther once said “Prayer is the most important thing in my life. If I should neglect prayer for a single day, I should lose a great deal of the fire of faith.”

Teaching prayer in Sunday School can be made fun and easy with a prayer calendar. Whilst teaching the importance of prayer it can also be practical. Why not create a monthly “Sunday School Prayer Calendar” which can serve as a daily reminder of the needs of Sunday School, missionaries, church leaders etc.

The calendar can take the form of an actual calendar or as a list of dates with a different general prayer concern listed for each day. Examples include: children in the community, friends at school, families in the church, leaders of the church, a specific country, missionaries the church support etc.

Young children may like to make the calendar colourful with stickers or drawings. Older children may put scripture verses for memory purposes at the top of the calendar.

All events and activities that the church has planned can be covered with prayer by placing them on the calendar.

The calendar should then be made available to all members of your church asking them to make the prayer requests part of their prayers on that day.

Check out Sunday school material for 3-11 year olds

Is Sunday School Dead or Alive?

Sunday School in the 21st Century is it dead or alive?

What does the future hold for Sunday School? It’s a question that Christian educators working at all levels must ask. Why do we see some Sunday Schools that are exciting and growing? Whilst others are dead, dying or somewhere in between just holding their own, with the same programmes and attendance.

England has a rich history of beginnings and steady growth. Platowing through the latter half of the last century. Today most Sunday Schools fall into the last category - just holding their own.

There seems to be an abandoning of traditional Sunday School lessons in favour of writing their own curriculum. Whilst others used denominational or independent publishing they made major changes to adapt the material to the needs of the children.

The Bible teachs us to " Train a child in the way that they should go:

and when they are old they will not depart from it.

Proverbs Chapter 22 verse 6

So do you think Sunday school is dead or alive?

Check out Sunday Schhool lessons for 3-11 year olds