When Not to Call It a “Bible School Program”
I suppose one of the most common ways to refer to what some call “Sunday School” is to refer to it as the “Bible school program.” Children, teens, and adults attend classes and, over the years, hear hundreds of lessons.
But today I want to give three times when calling it the “Bible school program” is not accurate, and each one provides something to honestly evaluate.
First, don’t call it the “Bible school program” if it is not actually a program; in other words, if there is little-to-no organization. A great deal of time and attention needs to be paid to evaluating curriculum, for example. And, by the way, that includes curriculum for adults. Please do not set it and forget it! A curriculum may have worked in the past, but may not be what your congregation needs currently. New items may need to be bought or different classes offered in order to “feed the flock.”
Second, don’t call it the “Bible school program” if it is not a school. Are the teachers being trained, or do you just expect them to fill a room and fill up some time? Do you help the teachers with materials, equipment, and supplies so that all the students can have a great environment in which to learn? Are concerns of the teachers heard and considered, or do you just have the classes because you always have had them?
Third, don’t call it the “Bible school program” if the Bible is not the center of it. I’m going to step on toes here, but too many congregations expect teachers to basically teach “good living” or “life decisions” and fail to truly teach the Bible. Children need to be grounded in those “stories” from Scripture, learning the basics and taking in deeply the main people, places, and things. Only when children get older can they even begin to grasp concepts and application, but even those need to be taught from Scripture, not just from “life experience.”
There is no Bible passage that requires a congregation to have a Bible school program, but if a congregation is going to have one, it is going to require a lot of work, a lot of evaluation, and a lot of planning. It is very easy to let it fall to the wayside and just kind of happen. Don’t let it! Use this wonderful time to ground every student in the wonderful things of God, found only in His Word.
AUTHOR: Adam Faughn