Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - May/76

Contributor - Diny Poot

Title - Sunday School or Church School in the Summer

Topic - Education

Does your Sunday School have holidays during the summer months? Should we stop the Sunday School for the summer months? That was the question that came up in our teachers meeting of the Drayton Reformed Church a few years ago.

As it happens during the summer months, one Sunday morning 3 or 4 young pupils out of a class of P are missing; away for the holidays. The next Sunday you are 2 chairs and 3 take home papers short because of the visitors. What kind of a lesson are you going to teach in a case like that? How eager are the children to attend Sunday School, when they are completely out of the routine of going to school during the week? Also some of the teachers would like to have holidays too.

We find that it is almost impossible to teach a regular curriculum during the summer months. The time for Sunday School in our church is during the latter part of the church service, so if we discontinue Sunday School where would the children be? Would they attend the service in the sanctuary, or would they stay home and become completely out of touch? Holidays for the Sunday School did not seem to be the answer. So we looked for a different solution and we came up with a Summer Schedule.

By combining a few classes we did not need as many teachers. Then we appointed 2 or 3 teachers for each Sunday and they had to come up with a special program. It worked! We found that by the time July came around, both teachers and children were ready for something different. It was not the easiest to find something different all the time, but by working together and having our ears open we did come up with different ways of bringing or teaching the gospel. Perhaps it was not always teaching, some times it was sharing in singing favourite songs for the entire session.

I like to name some of the special programs we had. A retired missionary, who had worked among the Eskimo's told us about her work and showed slides. Mr. Ron Vieselmeyer, from the Open Air Campagne, 2390 Eglinton Ave. East, Scarborough, Ont. came and gave a fantastic puppet show. That was in 1974 and the children still remember. Canadian Save the Children Fund, have said that they would send a speaker. We had a film from the Canadian Institute for the Blind from Brantford, which certainly taught us something. On a nice Sunday morning we would go outside, where we would not disturb the church service and play games like Biblical Baseball. Other things were guessing names of biblical people pinned on your back, a sing-song outside with guitars, stories and Bible quizzes in or outside.

Sunday School does not have to be boring during the summer. This way irregular attendance does not upset the teacher. As a teacher you do lose contact somewhat with the children especially when the schedule is worked out so that you get about two turns for the summer. But we do find it better than closing altogether.

Another summer is ahead of us. Perhaps you would like to try something like this also, or have different ideas. What are other Sunday Schools doing in the summer time? Do you have more or other suggestions? We can use lots more. Perhaps we can share through the Pioneer.

Send your ideas and suggestions to the office of the Pioneer. I think more teachers will appreciate that.

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