SUNDAY SCHOOL GUIDELINES - PART 2
EFFECTIVE TEACHING METHODS FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL FROM
KINDER TO SENIOR CLASSES
Teaching Very Young Classes (4 years to 7 years)
The children of this age range are still in the early stages
of language learning. Hence, most of the conceptual words in the lessons may be
difficult for them to understand. Hence visual aids, creative activities and
models should be used a lot for the children of this age range. However,
teachers should make sure that the classes don't become disorganized or chaotic
when play methods are used in teaching. Play methods are effective and
beneficial in learning only when they are done in a structured and controlled
way with specific teaching and learning objective in mind.
Teaching Intermediate Classes (8 years to 11 years)
The children in this age group are increasingly becoming
social making friends in various settings like their home neighbourhood,
playgrounds, school and Church. So importance should be given to teaching
practical life lessons like love, unity, kindness, friendship, patience,
forgiveness etc through the Bible stories. These children are also active,
adventerous, curious and interested in exploring. Hence, interactive and
creative activities and models could be used to help the children better engage
in the Sunday School lessons. However, activities involving too much of
colour and moving around should not cause distraction, disturbance or sensory
overload for other children. Teachers should maintain a healthy balance between
using creative materials and actual teaching of the concepts from the
lessons.
Teaching Senior Classes
(12 years to 15 years)
This is the entry stage when children begin their transition
into teenhood physically, emotionally and mentally. Hence, it is very
important to motivate the children to develop a personal relationship with
God, and to create a thirst for the Word of God, which would provide strong
spiritual foundation for their entire life. Unlike young children who need a
lot of visual aids to help them understand the stories, for senior children the
use of visual aids like pictures and videos are used to provide additional
explanation for the subject and evidence for the lessons only.
Asking thought-provoking questions
related to the lesson taught should be encouraged. Irrelevant, unrelated or
sarcastic questions that sidetrack or disturb the class should be discouraged
through negative reinforcement. Positive reinforcements like appreciation
encourage the behaviour, while negative reinforcement like neglecting the
unwanted question discourage the behaviour. Clearing doubts, finding
cross-references from the Bible wherever applicable should be given preference
while teaching senior Sunday School classes. All the Senior children
should be introduced to Basic Christian apologetics.
The relevance of the Holy Bible to
the modern life should be insisted upon. The teachers should help the children
understand how each of the events mentioned in the Holy Bible played a role in
God's eternal salvation plan. Children also should be taught to view the
current world happenings, political ideologies and environmental situations in
the light of God's word and prophecies. Rote-learning and memorising of
charts, specific details etc. should be completely avoided and children should
not be forced to learn the lessons with the aim of passing the exam like a
secular school setting. All the children who have eagerly attended the Sunday
school classes and engaged in the Sunday School lessons should be equally
appreciated and motivated.
Basic Qualifications for Sunday School Teachers
Teachers with exemplary spiritual life, who are comfortable, cheerful and playful in the company of children, with a quest for learning the word of God and who can dedicate adequate time for preparation of lessons should be involved in teaching Sunday school. Sunday school teachers especially those who are teaching senior children should be able to follow world events and able to interpret and translate it to the understanding level of the children and help them to view it with a Christian perspective. All these qualities will be embodied in an individual who is called by God and equipped for Sunday school ministry.
Examples of Visual Aids & Multi-sensory Activities
As insisted in this article, visual aids and multi-sensory
activities are more relevant for younger children. Dramas, Role plays and
videos could be used as additional teaching material for senior children. But
they should never be a substitute for solid scriptural teaching.
Using Picture Cards / Flash cards
Using Bible story Sequencing Activities
.jpg)
Using Children's Bible/ Picture Books / Interactive Books
Using Bible Quiet Books / Felt Books
Using Flannelgraph / Flannel Boards
Modelling the Story with Objects
Colouring Activities
Crafting the Bible Stories
Dressing up
Dramas/ Skits
Fun Bible Games
Lego Blocks
Bible Quiz / Worksheets
Activity Sheets
Puppet Shows
Actions / Action Songs
Videos
Use of Multi-sensory / Multi-modality teaching in Sunday School
It is common knowledge that any
class without colourful visual prompts or interesting activities is boring for
children. Hence, use of multi-sensory, multi-modality is very much advocated in
modern secular schools. Multi-modality teaching like visual aids, videos, drama
and enactment help the children to understand many concepts in an easier way in
a secular school setting. Unlike secular schools, in a Sunday-school we are
teaching spiritual concepts with the aim of leading the children towards
salvation and transformation. We use stories and themes from the Bible towards
that end.
Recently jargons like postmodern
children, child-friendly worship etc are very often used in the pretence of
reforming Sunday schools and Church services. Church leaders and Sunday school
teachers should be thoroughly aware and well-equipped to handle the pressure
these concepts bring. The concept of modernity exists only in the physical
world and not in the spiritual world. The evils we see in the spiritual world
have their origin in the Garden of Eden. The spiritual disciplines, needs and
spiritual desires that God gave man during creation have not evolved or
changed. Since Sunday school works on the spiritual life of children, it should
be conducted in a disciplined and organized manner.
Immodest dressing, indecent
dancing, singing secular songs, exaggerated dramas and skits displayed on stage
in the pretext of keeping postmodern children engaged should not be permitted.
Keeping the Sunday School lessons and activities true to the Holy Bible and its
doctrines is very important. Use of traditional or modern materials and
activities have limited role to play in the influence or transformation of the
child. Sunday school teachers should have unwavering faith in the
transformative power of God's word through the work of the Holy Spirit. When a
child's spiritual life is touched and transformed by God's word taught in
Sunday School, it will help the child to overcome the ill-influence the modern
or the post-modern world brings.
Visual aids like colouring, crafts
and skits can help the younger children to understand Bible stories like Moses
parts the Red Sea or David defeats Goliath but not the spiritual lessons from
these stories like faith, obedience, courage etc which have to be learned in a
real-life setting. Hence there should be a careful balance between teaching and
fun activities while using these materials. Overuse of colourful, loud or
running around activities can distract the children of other classes and can
cause sensory overload to some children.
Experiential Learning
Experiential learning is an engaged learning process
whereby students “learn by doing”. In Sunday School experiential learning is
beneficial to teach younger children to help them understand the Bible
stories. We can only make the children experience the Bible stories and
their characters but not the actual spiritual concepts they are teaching, which
must be learned in a real-life setup. As mentioned in the previous
paragraph, spiritual concepts like faith, love, hope, obedience, salvation etc.
are abstract concepts that are quite difficult to "learn by doing" in
Sunday School. Hence experiential learning has limited application in Sunday
School, especially for teaching older children. The scriptural instructions and
teachings we give in the Sunday School are intended to help the child overcome
the trials and difficulties they face in their real life. Hence solid
scriptural teaching without much distraction is very much needed for all
children, especially senior children. Since, unlike secular lessons, God’s word
is a living seed which has life in it. It is planted inside a child’s heart
through teaching and when the right conditions come, it will sprout, grow and
bear fruit in the child's life.
Jacob's Ladder Sunday
School Lessons
The Jacob's Ladder Scripture lessons incorporate important
incidents and spiritual concepts from the Holy Bible. These structured
lessons have been designed to help the children grow in Biblical knowledge
and provide spiritual nourishment. Each of these lessons are explained in
such a way that, they could be easily understood by children of each of these
age groups. The Bible Portion from which these stories are taken is
mentioned for the teacher’s reference. Book references and citations are also
given wherever applicable. The memory verses are also given at the end of each
lesson. Although, parts of Bible verses are given as memory verse,
teachers can encourage children to by heart the entire verse depending on the
ability of the child. Colouring and fun activities have also been added for
each lesson for junior classes. Activities to motivate the children to
search and read the Holy Bible are given for senior classes. Each lesson
is meant for one session. You are also encouraged to incorporate creative
ideas and activities to ensure maximum participation of every child,
so that the incorruptible seed of God's word is planted in the heart of
each child.
