Sunday School

Goals of our Sunday School
As laid out by the LIFE curriculum

• To nurture the faith of students and leaders and encourage a deeper understanding of Biblical/doctrinal truths.
• To help students develop spiritual dependence on and trust in God.
• To encourage children and leaders to make the church’s confessions and teachings their own.
• To develop skills and attitudes that are crucial to the spiritual life—understanding and responding creatively to Scripture, worshiping and praying together, talking about one’s faith, cultivating a sense of wonder and praise, and sharing in the ministry of the church.
• To encourage a living faith that’s evidenced in daily attitudes and actions.

Pray for your Childern

Praying for your children during the week will transform your ministry!  Nearly half of Jesus’ time spent in prayer was spent not asking, but thanking, God!  What might happen if we spent half our prayer time for the kids we teach by thanking God for each child and for what God is doing in each one of their lives?  When we thank God, our own words focus our hearts and minds upon who He is and what He is able to do instead of focusing on the problems. 

Practical ideas to increase prayer focus on the kids you teach:

• Place a copy of your class roster on your fridge, next to your computer or in your day planner.  When your eye catches a name, take a moment to thank God for that child and pray for his or her needs.
• Write each child’s name on a sticky note along with at least one positive characteristic you have noticed about him or her.  Place them in spots where you will often see them.
• Spend time in prayer with your co-teacher, whether in person, by phone, email or text message, thank God together for each child.

The First Ever Sunday School

The first ever Sunday School was started back in 1780, by a newspaper man called Robert Raikes. Raikes was concerned by the plight of poor children who were working long hours, six days a week in factories. He used his newspaper to great effect, exposing many of the evils of the age.
Raikes set up a Sabbath School, where children were taught to read and write and instructed in the basics of the Christian Faith. His idea was soon copied and Sabbath Schools soon spread all over the country. Within two years, there were over 200,000 children attending Sabbath Schools in England.
Obviously much has changed over the past two hundred and twenty years. However, our modern generations are now facing the challenges of moral confusion and social fragmentation. There is clear evidence of a decline in the ability to discern what the boundaries are and there is rise in “individualism” and the breakdown of family and community relationships.
In response, we in the church offer an old solution to a modern problem. While no one can guarantee that children will grow up as perfect people, what we can promise is that in conjunction with good parenting and good schooling, being nurtured in the beliefs, values and practices of the Christian Faith, does help in the moral, and spiritual development of the individual. It helps provide people with a firm foundation, from which they are able to make the right choices and reach their full potential. www.ruthriestonwestchurch.org.uk

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