Sunday School and the Home: it’s a Partnership

Things Parents Can Do

The Sunday school simply cannot succeed without the active support of its parents. But what can Sunday school parents do? Here is a list of suggestions. Many of them are obvious. A few may be less so. But all of them are worth reviewing and doing. Go through the list and try the following:

  • Select one or two areas where you think you can make some real improvements;
  • Commit to making these improvements;
  • Seek God’s help on a regular basis, and
  • Stick to it.

As a general rule, the sooner parents make a commitment to actively supporting their child’s Sunday schooling and the longer they stick with it, the greater will be the benefits that the child derives.

Parents can …

  1. Read the Bible as a family. The daily readings are the time-honored method in our community.
  2. Give your child truth-centered responsibilities. Demonstrate self-sacrifice and responsibility in ecclesial and family life. Be a role model.
  3. Pray with your child. Make everyday happenings and problems a matter of family prayer.
  4. Talk with your child about world events in light of Bible teaching. E.g., moral issues, prophecy.
  5. Read Bible-related books and stories together; parent to child and child to parent. As children get older help them identify and read good books.
  6. If your Sunday school has a resource center or library for its students and teachers, help your child select and use materials from the center.
  7. Encourage your child to draw pictures or write stories with Biblical themes.
  8. Play Bible games as a family. E.g., Bible pursuit games, Bible Jeopardy, Bible Pictionary.
  9. Give family outings and vacations a spiritual focus. E.g., take your Bibles on family picnics and do the daily readings together; make Bible school a family affair.
  10. Limit and regulate TV viewing. Use Bible videos as an alternative to com­mercial programs. Suggestion: talk with your child’s Sunday school teacher and coordinate video viewing with current Sunday school topics.
  11. Cultivate other interests as alternatives to television. E.g., arts and crafts proj­ects, reading, music. These might also be coordinated with current Sunday school topics.
  12. Invite other Sunday school children to your home and allow your child to visit their homes. Encourage your child to cultivate friendships with his/her Sunday school peers.
  13. Value the Sunday school program in your ecclesia and communicate this value to your child.
  14. Demonstrate interest in your child’s Sunday school work. E.g., attend Sunday school functions and outings together; support his/her Sunday school work in every possible way; show appreciation for your child’s Sunday school efforts.
  15. Be sure your child attends Sunday school regularly and gets there on time. Go out of your way to find out about missed lessons and assignments when your child is absent.
  16. If you are not a Sunday school teacher, attend the adult Sunday school class and become actively involved in it. Set the example that you want your child to follow.
  17. Take your child to every possible ecclesial, inter-ecclesial, and youth function. Value and talk positively about these events with your child.
  18. Show concern for others in the ecclesia: elderly, isolated, sick, shut-ins. Involve your child in these concerns. Help him or her to know the members of your ecclesia and bridge the differences between generations.
  19. Provide your child with godly behaviors to imitate. Children are great imita­tors and will pick up on some surprising behaviors of their parents.
  20. Encourage your child to role play family and ecclesial roles. E.g., let him or her play-act a memorial service, a baptism, a Sunday school lesson.
  21. Supervise your child’s Sunday school homework. Some suggestions are:
    Make a point of knowing what your child’s Sunday school homework assign­ment is each week.
    Have a regular place where your child can do his or her Sunday school home­work. Be sure adequate supplies are available: pencil, paper, project materials.
    Have a set time during the week for doing Sunday school homework. Make it family time and do your own Sunday school homework or Bible study at the same time.
    Do Sunday school readings together and talk about them.
    Review memory verses with your child.
    Review homework questions together. Take time to help with the questions.
    Talk with your child’s Sunday school teacher and discuss how you can work together for the spiritual development of your child.
  22. Share constructive ideas for Sunday school improvements with the superin­tendent or teacher. Be ready to help with these improvements where possible.
  23. Live by the same standards that you set for your child. Be genuine.
  24. Make the sacrifices necessary to put God first.

Your comments and additions to this list are invited. Please send them to me at 2harps4u@gmail.com.