5 Reasons Sunday School Matters

5 Reasons Sunday School Matters

          Historians credit Robert Raikes with forming the first organized Sunday School in England around the mid-18th century. Back in those days, many children, especially those from poor families, worked on farms, in mills and in factories throughout the week to help their parents make ends meet. Members of the clergy recognized that these children need to receive a proper education, and the first Sunday School were established to give them that education while also allowing them to work. This new idea sparked a movement that spread to North America, and Sunday Schools became a popular component of American church services. The idea of Sunday Schools has changed since the 18th century.

          Nowadays, Sunday School, in most churches, consists of Cicle classes that are taught during the hour immediately before Sunday morning worship. Today's Sunday School classes focus almost exclusively on Bible instruction rather than academics. Unfortunately, the popularity of Sunday School has declined over the years. Recent studies have shown that in almost all cases, Sunday School attendance is significantly lower than Sunday morning worship services. Perhaps this is because many people think Sunday School is something for children and not for adults. Perhaps it's because people don't see Sunday School as a necessary part of worship. Perhaps churhces are suspending their Sunday School programs entirely. While it is true that the Bible never mentions "Sunday School" as we know it, it is important for us to take any opportunties to learn more about the Holy Bible, its Divine Author, and its human contributors. Here are 5 reasons why Sunday School Matters:

1. Sunday School Offers Bible Teaching in a Smaller Setting

          When I am teaching my middle school students a lesson, I most often use whole-group instruction in which I speak to all the students all at once. However, there are times where I have to break the class up into small groups. These small groups allow me to take the students deeper into the material and given them a closer look at what we are studying. The same can be practiced in the church setting. Most pastors preach from the pulpit for about 30 to 45 minutes each Sunday morning. With this limited time, it can sometimes be difficult to cover the finer details of a passage or Biblical idea. Sunday School may be used to fill in those gaps. We may think of Sunday School as similar to students who receive tutoring in math or science in school; it provides additional teaching and support when students need it.

2. Sunday School Allows Different Perspectives

          While some churches hold one large Sunday School class for all attendees, most churches will divide their Sunday School classes by age, grade level, and/or gender. This means that everyone in Sunday School can participate in a Bible lesson geared towards them specifically. While Bible truths are applicable to all of our lives, we may apply those truths differently, depending on a number of factors. Sunday School allows children to receive instructions from the Word of God on their level of understanding. Sunday School also allows men and women, including married couples, singles, teenagers, and seniors to explore what God's Word has to say to them specifically. Sunday School also provides opportunites for those members to discuss these Biblical lessons with people who share their perspective by being members of the same demographic.

3. Sunday School Opens Doors To Share Gifts

          Many pastors first discovered their call to ministry when they were serving as Sunday School teachers. Not everyone in the church can be a pastor, but God has given each of us different gifts and talents that may be used within the chruch (Ephesians 4:11-16). Maybe God has given you a yearning to help instruct children in the church, or maybe you've got a passion for working with church youth. Perhaps God has given you an idea for a short devotional thought, or maybe you have the skill of discerning the Scriptures and explaining them in simple terms. You may not be ready to stand before the congregation and share these gifts and talents, so Sunday School whould be the perfect place to take those first steps in exploring how God wants to use you in the church.

4. Sunday School Allows Time for Questions

          It is important for us to ask questions when we don't understand something. It is also helpful for individuals within the chruch to come together as a group and work together to answer these questions. Sunday School provides opportunities for this. The preaching hour is a sacred one. During that time, a pastor, who has been given a message from God, is delivering that message to God's people, and the Holy Spirit begins to do His work in the hearts of the hearers. We should be careful not to interrupt that by sparking a discussion. Many pastors will attend, if not teach, Sunday School. Sunday School class is a great time to ask questions about the Bible, the lesson being taught, or even the previous week's sermon. Sunday School also gives other members of the class the chance to hear the question and study it for themselves as the group works together to find an answer.

5. Sunday School Brings Us Closer Together

          The writer of Hebrews said, "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one antoher to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves togehter, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching" (Hebrews 10:23-25). It is incredibly importnat that we hold fast to the profession of our faith. This means that we stand firmly on the belief in Almighty God and His only begotten Son, who died to save us from sin. We ought to take every opportunity  to increase our understanding of God's teachings given to us through the Bible. We can do this by coming together, assembling ourselves together, teaching one another, and building one another up.

          As we grow ever closer to the end of the world and the return of Christ, it is necessary that we study our Bibles and soak up all the things God has spoken to us, so that we may share it with others. Sunday morning preaching is an excellent way to receive Biblical instruction. Sunday School is an important companion to that. We should never discard Sunday School as if it doesn't matter. It does.

Matthew Bentely

Grand Bay, AL.

Matthew Bentley lives in Grand Bay, Alabama with his wife, Kaite, and their son, John. For nearly 10 years, matthew served as a church pianist before answering the call to preach in May 2021. Shortly thereafter, he was called to be the associate pastor of Spanish Trail Baptist Church in Gautier, Mississippi. He was ordained and called to be lead pastor of Spanish Trail in November 2021 and is currently serving in that offfice. Outside of chruch work, Matthew holds a secular job with the mobile County Public School System, where he teaches middle school English and Social Studies.