Sharing the good news and teaching about God to our children, the next generation, is undoubtedly important but not easy as it sounds. Israelites did not succeed all the time, prophet Eli shamefully failed and even Samuel did not do a good job. Despite challenges, this is one of the most important jobs of any Christian parents and of a church.
We not only want our children to live in the righteous ways but also hope their significant others and close friends have similar values, and also the systems, workplaces, and schools they are in promote good values and purposes. If their world were corrupt with confusing values and wrong purposes, we at least hope our children are protected with God’s words and still be able to walk in his ways. This is why thinking about next generation starting from our children is important. This is why church needs to make sure our next generation is properly educated and prepared.
Sunday school is so much more than crafts and baby minding while parents attend services. It definitely is helpful to have fun activities and beneficial for parents who want to focus on their alone time with God. Yet, it is not the essence of Sunday school. Our children are there to learn about what it means to worship God, about Jesus’ ways, about what good news we believe in, what kind of life we lead as Christians and about the community we share. The younger the exposure, their spirituality will be rooted deeper within their hearts.
For practical examples, we can teach the kids to know what it means to fully empathize with somebody else, to be understood when in pain, to feel fulfilled by helping others, and to feel proud to collaborate with people you trust to solve complicated problems. These qualities and values can be connected to various Bible stories we already teach in Sunday school. The difficult decision Daniel faced, the way David trusted God, or the way Paul persisted for his given vision can all be connected to the life values that also need to be taught. We can teach more than storylines, plots and characters. We also need to teach more than just good news. We need to teach how we live as Christians who accepted the good news.
Of course, children learn not only in sermons or words but also by just being in the community that demonstrate these values and practices. When pastor’s sermons match what their adults in church are doing, children can naturally accept the words and the ways of living, sharing, and loving that are shown to them. First they learn the words of God, understand the applications, see the models and then eventually will live the life themselves.
If churches do not invest in our next generation, there will be more and more work to do in the world and less and less healthy Christians to work. When the world teaches children entitlement and focus on self, church will ensure that our children learn gratefulness, making choices that will please God and care for others.
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