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A “Successful” Church School
What defines any Church School program as a “success”? It begins when children feel that church is a welcoming place, where their presence is valued. The experience grows deeper when they have a place within church that is there for them, where they can be comfortable and safe, where religious values and education are available to children in an age-appropriate way. Then children can be free to explore their spiritual lives while they are here with us on Sunday morning, and beyond. If we create this kind of place in which children can come closer to God, children in turn will draw their whole family in to the life of the church. I have experienced this in my own life, and I am sure many of you have as well. As these children grow to adolescence and adulthood they know they always have a home base; they are part of the church and the church is a part of them.
Here at St. John’s we are so fortunate to have many of the pieces of a thriving, successful program in place. So many families have made the commitment to come to church together, no matter how hard that “pre-service-Sunday-morning- rush” can be. There is an incredible curriculum with materials available, put together through many past years of work by dedicated staff and volunteers. Our parish children are excited to come to Sunday School, and this year to the Family Service even with our temporarily limited physical facilities. We are blessed with a supportive clergy, vestry and older generations who understand how crucial Christian education is for children. Next year we will have new classrooms that will give us the comfortable and welcoming space to implement all of these pieces as a whole. And one of the most amazing blessings are the many dedicated church school teachers who have volunteered their time and themselves on Sunday mornings for years, and hopefully will consider renewing that commitment for next year.
What else do we need? The missing piece is new volunteers willing to contribute to the church school for the next school year. What kind of commitment are we asking for? Since we serve so many age groups, there are many different kinds of opportunities. In the next few weeks there will be specific “job descriptions” available at the church that will include the details of all types of church school volunteer positions.
What is required? A desire to have a successful and thriving church school here at St. John’s and a willingness to make a personal commitment, large or small. I would like to say that it appears that the more effort you put into this commitment, the richer and more rewarding the rewards can be. But don’t just take my word for it, please consider the experience of this veteran Kingdom (preschool) Teacher:
“I would encourage everyone to volunteer some time in Kingdom. It has
been a gift to me spending time with some of St. John's youngest children. I
thought I'd be the one teaching them, but believe me, they have taught
me a thing or two! Watching these children grow up in our Church as
good Christians is an amazing feeling. Thank you St. John's for
providing me with this wonderful opportunity (trailer and all)!” -Deb Burns
Or from an experienced Godly Play storyteller in Grade 2/3:
“Teaching Godly Play lessons is very gratifying. I love when a lesson
really resonates with the kids and we can talk about how what we've
learned can be applied to their daily lives. Preparing for the lessons
affords me the opportunity to learn more about the Bible and creates
time for personal reflection.”- Katherine Bonaccorso
Please contact me with any questions or interest in a Church School commitment. Thanks so much to all of you at St. John’s for your support of our program.
All the Best,
Kelly
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