I find that Churches of all stripes, from Sovereign Grace Baptists to Anglicans to Missouri Synod Lutherans have adopted two Methodist innovations, Vacation Bible School and Sunday School. Are VBS and Sunday School enjoined in Scripture? Are they worth the investment of time, and effort? Should we be investing our time, and resources in training fathers on how to catechize their children at home?
VBS and Sunday School: are they sacred cows
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My experiences with both of those would be that many of the children only exposure to Jesus and the scriptures are a direct result of them attending those meetings, as many come in from non saved families, or else only one of the parents are a believer.
Jack K
Puritan Board Doctor
We should absolutely be training fathers (and some mothers) to teach their children at home. But instruction at church by teachers appointed and trained by the church, provided it is good instruction, can also be profitable for children much as it can be profitable for adults. Dads are very important, but other voices can be helpful too, just as multiple voices speaking the truth in various ways are helpful to any of us.
Sacred cows? No. Helpful for many kids if done rightly? Yes.
Sacred cows? No. Helpful for many kids if done rightly? Yes.
Ryan&Amber2013
Puritan Board Senior
I agree with Jack.
Logan
Puritan Board Graduate
VBS isn't enjoined in Scripture but a lot of things aren't. That certainly seems to me to be an area where there is a lot of freedom to use wisdom. These types of activities invariably take place during the week.
Sunday School is a little different in my mind because it actually takes place on the Sabbath. But there again, I personally have found it very helpful in maintaining the Sabbath by filling the day with good things. Teaching and encouraging one another on that day seems like a good thing. But certainly, that shouldn't replace what is done in the home.
Sunday School is a little different in my mind because it actually takes place on the Sabbath. But there again, I personally have found it very helpful in maintaining the Sabbath by filling the day with good things. Teaching and encouraging one another on that day seems like a good thing. But certainly, that shouldn't replace what is done in the home.
nickipicki123
Puritan Board Freshman
I thought part of the purpose of VBS was to share the gospel with neighborhood kids who wouldn't otherwise hear it. Is that a bad investment of time/money?
Jack K
Puritan Board Doctor
The question of whether or not VBS is a good investment is actually a hot topic these days. There are studies that suggest few unchurched families actually end up attending a church after their kids go to VBS there. Families that show up on Sunday mornings are far more likely to keep coming. Therefore, the argument goes, churches should put their money and effort into Sunday mornings and dump VBS.
Well, I do believe Sunday mornings should be a church's top priority, but I have some problems with that argument: (1) It is too pragmatic, assuming the local church's purpose is merely to grow in size rather than to proclaim Christ wherever people will listen. (2) It favors the relatively easy work of attracting people who already profess faith over the more difficult work of evangelizing the lost, ignoring the fact that it is more glorious to see a lost person come to Christ than it is to see a believer from another church switch to your church.
The real issue with VBS is this: Will you conduct it in a way that robustly honors Christ and correctly presents his gospel, so that you do more good than harm? There are many, many adults in America who brush aside any thought of faith in Christ because they attended VBS (or Sunday school) as a kid and found that nothing they were taught had any depth. Little about it felt different from the world. The piety was superficial and the teaching was shallow. And so, they figure, they know about Jesus and he's fine for kids and games, but he's not really an answer to their adult problems and questions.
So if you decide to do VBS, don't do one of those pre-packaged "fun-tastic" programs with a sure-to-excite theme like space travel or jungle exploration. Make Christ your theme (he's pretty exciting if you really look), and go deep. And don't recruit the most energetic, good-times person you can find to be the leader. Recruit leaders who know Jesus, pray about everything, study their Bibles, and love to go deep with kids. Do that, and your VBS will probably be worth it.
Sunday School: How would you structure it so that it actually builds on what the believing parents are teaching at home? Would you just teach the catechism, and the scriptural proofs for the catechism? Maybe a Presbyterian Church could teach the Heidelberg in Sunday School, and have the fathers teach the Westminster at home?
Jack K
Puritan Board Doctor
It's easy to overthink things and end up too organized. I say the church should consider the children who attend and teach whatever it feels would most benefit those kids. Then, make a variety of resources available to parents, including some that keep parents in the loop on what was taught at church and might build on that. Let parents then do whatever they think is best for their kids.
It's not good to stipulate what must be taught at home or tie it into the lessons at church. You will either be pushing some parents to cover material they don't think is actually best for their kids (and parents are in the best position to know), or the parents will overrule you and your church lessons won't get the at-home tie-in you were counting on.
Chad Hutson
Puritan Board Freshman
Come to our area in the drug addled wasteland of WV. Our communities are full of kids without fathers, without supervision or guidance, without hope. We would love to be able to rely on fathers to teach their children at home, but it is unrealistic. We do Sunday School for all ages after worship on Sundays and Wednesday night classes and meals for all ages. We send vans into the worst neighborhoods and round up these kids, feed them, love them, teach them the Bible, show them what normalcy looks like. Our workers and teachers do so much (teaching, cooking, cleanup, driving, helping with homework afterwards or before, etc.). We supply them clothes and supplies for school and provide for them at Christmas (clothes, coats, boots). VBS is an extension of this ministry: a full week of love and instruction in the things of God. We even have adult classes during VBS. We have a converted Catholic in our congregation thanks to VBS (brought her grandchildren, stayed for adult class...and God opened her eyes and saved he soul).
Sacred cows? I say not. I would call them effective tools of evangelism and ministry if done right.
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Edward
Puritanboard Commissioner
I would suggest that this points out the problems with your approach to the issue.
gjensen
Puritan Board Freshman
Call it by another name if you need to, but there is no sin in an outreach to unreached children of unbelieving parents.
There is no requirement to have or participate in Sunday School. But should we be critical of any effort to gather and study our Lord's word?
Should we encourage and train young men to instruct and lead their children? Absolutely. I wish that I would not have come to this place so late in life. This is certainly of utmost importance and should be the priority.
There is no requirement to have or participate in Sunday School. But should we be critical of any effort to gather and study our Lord's word?
Should we encourage and train young men to instruct and lead their children? Absolutely. I wish that I would not have come to this place so late in life. This is certainly of utmost importance and should be the priority.
alexandermsmith
Puritan Board Junior
How has VBS changed over the years? Did it used to be a far more robust week of teaching, for the whole family?
Jack K
Puritan Board Doctor
VBS was conceived as an opportunity to teach the Bible while American kids are out of school for the summer, since time for Bible teaching was limited during the school year as both students and teachers were busy with other studies. I have not heard of whole-family VBS, though it sounds like an idea with some promise.
I think it's fair to say that the early VBS curricula were more robust than most of the pre-packaged lessons you find today. But by the time I was a kid in the 1970s, the major publishers were already using themes borrowed from Saturday morning kids television to jazz up the VBS experience, and I don't remember the Bible content going very deep. The materials my church used presented things at an introductory level, with the idea that many students had never heard the basics.
Today, I teach at Bible camps during the summer. I'm constantly amazed by the number of parents who never bring their kids to church but will send them to Bible camp for a full week or two. I tend to have a fairly even mix of churched kids and those who have had little or no Bible teaching at all. The challenge (and the joy) of that setting is to clearly explain very basic material and still have much depth. I create my own lessons.
Puritan Sailor
Puritan Board Doctor
The old Presbyterian name for Sunday School was called Catechism. Kids would gather with a minister, teacher, or elder for Catechizing. Though the term "Sunday School" derived from an outreach, the concept as we have it now (for catechizing children or even adults) is not a new concept at all. And it does not in any way impede or hinder a parent's responsibility to teach their children the rest of the week. Additionally, Sunday school provides opportunities for children to develop relationships with other children in the church, and it offers opportunities for Scripture to reinforce what the pastor and parents are saying through another covenant community voice.
Here are some helpful articles on the matter from Shawn Mathis, an OPC minister who has interacted with the Family Integrated Movement. The first article on Reformed history should be enough to refute the narrative of the FIM that the concept of Sunday School is a recent innovation.
https://reformedbaptistblog.com/201...ion-of-the-family-integrated-church-movement/
Here are some helpful articles on the matter from Shawn Mathis, an OPC minister who has interacted with the Family Integrated Movement. The first article on Reformed history should be enough to refute the narrative of the FIM that the concept of Sunday School is a recent innovation.
https://reformedbaptistblog.com/201...ion-of-the-family-integrated-church-movement/
jblue88
Puritan Board Freshman
Our church used to organize a VBS but simply couldn't sustain the endeavor for a period of time. I know it was meaningful for the surrounding neighborhoods since our church is surrounded by Section 8 housing and a large muslim population (a mosque is the next block over). I believe there are discussions of bringing it back, not only because our church has been blessed with a boom of children as of late, but as a means to reach our neighbors. Tagging on to what Jack said, it would be paramount for the summer endeavor to be focused on Christ and not on whether or not we can get a flashy program. As Chad helpfully pointed out, love on the kids and show them the glorious gospel norm.
As for Sunday School, Freshman through adults gather together for the Adult Sunday School hour. I've taught through Jonah, Matthew, and a study of popular cults in Kansas City. The lower grades attend a catechism class; 3-6th grade are taught by elders. The high school students attend Catechism on Wednesday evenings with the Pastor.
These are tools that can greatly edify the body of Christ and further the gospel proclamation in our neighborhood.
As for Sunday School, Freshman through adults gather together for the Adult Sunday School hour. I've taught through Jonah, Matthew, and a study of popular cults in Kansas City. The lower grades attend a catechism class; 3-6th grade are taught by elders. The high school students attend Catechism on Wednesday evenings with the Pastor.
These are tools that can greatly edify the body of Christ and further the gospel proclamation in our neighborhood.
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