Sunday School is a great place to teach children the stories from the Bible and how the Bible can be a guide for life. But, Sunday School is not the end of the ministry to children. Sunday School helps to lay a foundation for each child, and now we have to build upon that foundation. The Bible says, “Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. 7 Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:4-6 HCSB).
The Bible is clear that transformation of children is not just about an hour of Sunday School each week. The passage above indicates teaching children is an every-day, every-hour, every-minute job. Transformation is the job of Sunday School, parents and other believers. If we are going to expect children to grow and mature into faithful followers of Jesus Christ, the impact of the Bible has to move beyond the Sunday School room.
Oh! This could even be true for students and adults as well. The greatest single factor affecting God’s work in our churches and communities today may well be that only a few believers in our churches actually commit to a daily devotional that includes Bible reading, prayer and listening to God.
How different Sunday School would be if every member came read-up, prayed-up and expecting to get a fresh word from the Lord.
Transformation is more than attending Sunday School!
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Tom Belew has served as Small Groups and Childhood Specialist for the California Southern Baptist Convention since 2002. He previously served as Minister of Education in churches in Arizona and California.