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Sunday school isn’t just for children. One of the things I enjoy discussing with young people on the college campus is their faith. In my World Civilization to 1500 course, I teach the broad concepts of religion. Religion is one of the seven components of civilization I introduce to students in the first week of the semester. It is also one of the four parts which drive students’ interests in the course.
Understanding the basics of your faith
As I’ve shared before, I did not grow up in a Christian home. My home was mostly without any religious instruction. When I became a born-again believer at the age of 36, I admit I didn’t know anything about my newfound faith in Jesus. Sure, as you’ve read my testimony, I did go to church, sang in the choir, but going to church was mostly a social event. I wasn’t going to learn about my faith, about Jesus, or any good reason. I was going because I was told it is what Christians did. Once I received Jesus as my savior, I began attending both morning and evening services. And I also started regularly attending Sunday school.
If you’ve ever wondered if there is more to your Christian faith and if you are ready to do something about it, I’d like to invite you to attend Sunday school, almost every church has a Sunday school program, and you’ll be welcomed with open arms.
Sunday school is discipleship-focused
A few years ago, I heard a pastor describe the morning service as salvation focused, and the evening service was advanced discipleship and fellowship. But he said that Sunday school is discipleship-focused. No one ever becomes a follower of Christ and immediately knows all there is to know about being a Christian. Peter wrote, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious (1 Peter 2:2-3). Sunday school gives younger Christians the “milk” of our faith.
No baby ever grows strong eating steak and eggs. Babies need milk. New Christians aren’t ready to learn about the more weightier things of our faith until they understand the basics. Someone had to teach me the importance of praying and reading the Bible daily. I had to learn the importance of resisting temptation. Sure, I heard some of this in both the morning and the evening services. But in Sunday school, I learned the biblical application – the “why” these things are essential to the Christian faith. One of the problems faced by the modern church and believers is a lack of discipleship with the very fundamental doctrines of the faith.
Sunday school only works when we participate
In 2006, I made a promise to the Lord that I would take reading and studying the Bible just as seriously and with as much effort as I did in graduate school. It has been a few years since I made that promise. But I’ve been led to understand the depth that promise I made. And it included going to Sunday school. At first, I did the same thing many of my college students do in class. I came in, I sat down, and I did nothing. I didn’t participate in the discussions, and I didn’t read the booklet I was given when I joined the class. Then the Lord stepped in and opened my eyes.
Many of us have this idea that Sunday school is for children. A quick search of the Internet also seems to support this idea — page after page of resources for teaching Sunday school lessons to children. Materials for pre-teens, teens, college, and career-bound adults, and other adult groups are a bit harder to find. But once I was able to overcome the idea that Sunday school was for children, it became easier to participate in the discussions. And it also became more comfortable to read the materials the teacher gave us to read throughout the week. Soon, Sunday school became an increasingly important part of my discipleship.
