Learning Remembered

My childhood wasn’t great but I’m still attracted to the area where I grew up.  Occasionally I need to see those back roads where an old single-speed bicycle took me through mud, dust, ruts and potholes while dodging wayward farm equipment and old cars.  It’s good to look again over those hayfields where I sweated buckets – first loading loose hay with a hay-loader and wagon then later piling bales by hand.

As we age us humans tend to look back a lot, remembering our growing up: the home and area we came from, what we enjoyed or not, who our friends were.  Reminiscing on how the various levels of grade school and Sunday school were for us and our feelings about those times – which often had more to do with the teacher than the subject.  Many things we experience and learn in our youth stay with us for a lifetime.  Childhood memories, we’ve all got them and hopefully yours are good.  

Consider the teens and young adults around you today and reflect on what they learned as children: was it computers, social media, gloomy friends and self-focused activities?  Or, did their parents take them to Sunday school and church.  Did they learn about Jesus and have wise adults teach them to think for themselves by holding worldly stuff beside Christ and considering it’s worth from there, instead of letting the world and electronics think for them.  Sadly, many teens and young adults today have lived all their lives in ignorance of Jesus Christ.

Sunday school is not as populated as it once was and the further society distances itself from Christ, the worse off we all become.  As Proverbs 22:6 tells us, children need to be taught when they’re young – that’s when learning is easier and retainment is best (as some worldly groups have also discovered).

Attracting young people to church can be daunting, but there are some energetic folks who may be your best ambassadors – your children.  They will be influencing the next generation anyway; it would be good to give them more tools for the job.  The church I’m in has had success in that area.  Our youth Pastor ensures children enjoy their gatherings and participate in the proceedings.  Then they get involved with friends at school and invite them to a host of interesting activities that our excellent young leader sets up.  He takes no credit for anything, but listens and encourages the youth in every good way, everyone is recognized for something.

Our leadership also gets the community involved in such things as B-B-Q’s, games days, small group evenings and motorcycle rides.  There’s no secret of who we are or what we teach but preaching is kept for regular services; folks in the community are invited to come as they are, bring their children and enjoy themselves.

Having taught Sunday School many years ago, I found that “canned” lessons were helpful, but didn’t use them exclusively.  Children are very interested in how you, the teacher and others they know, deal with life in a Godly manner using the lessons being taught.  If you have folks who can show their real-life experiences that relate to those lessons, that’s golden, especially if they can develop a good rapport with the youngsters.

Hopefully these musings are helpful.  With the school year sneaking up and folks coming back from summer wanderings to gather again, please consider Romans 12:10.  This could also be a good time to reflect on interesting events that your congregation’s children can talk about with their peers; what type of healthy activities do young folks enjoy where you are?  As parents learn shortly after their arrival, kids can be very persuasive.