Photos: istockphoto, Jupiterimages, Shutterstock Art Director: Karen Knutson Designer: Pamela Dunn All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved. This publication may not be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, or converted to any electronic or machine-readable form in whole or in part, except for brief quotations, without prior written approval from the publisher. Northwestern Publishing House 1250 N. 113th St., Milwaukee, WI 53226-3284 www.nph.net 2012 by Northwestern Publishing House Published 2012 Printed in the United States of America ISBN 978-0-8100-2500-4
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TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE The Joys, Blessings, and Importance of Teaching Sunday School by Debera Fellers.......................................... 1 CHAPTER TWO Keeping the Gospel Front and Center by Matthew Foley.......................................... 10 CHAPTER THREE Teaching in the Power of the Spirit by Robert Koester.......................................... 14 CHAPTER FOUR The Christ-Light Sunday School Program by Ray Schumacher and Lynn Groth........................... 19 CHAPTER FIVE Making Lesson Material Fit You and Your Children by Laura Sullivan......................................... 25 CHAPTER SIX Special Needs Children by Jane Mose.............................................. 36 CHAPTER SEVEN Tips for Teaching the Different Grade Levels by Karie Mindock.......................................... 39 CHAPTER EIGHT Practical Classroom Tips by Debera Fellers, June Naumann, Amy Schramm, Rachel Tacke, Karie Mindock................................. 47
PREFACE If you have just been asked to teach for the first time, this booklet will provide a wealth of information to help you make a decision and get started. If you have been teaching for years, it will provide encouragement and perhaps a teaching tip or two. You can use this book no matter what curriculum your congregation is using. It is about teaching Sunday school in general. The chapter on the Christ-Light curriculum from Northwestern Publishing House will help you better understand this valuable resource. May the Lord bless your teaching and give you joy as you bring his Word to your children.
CHAPTER ONE The Joys, Blessings, and Importance of Teaching Sunday School by Debera Fellers So here you are you ve been asked to teach Sunday school and you are still giving it prayerful consideration. Maybe you are nervously facing your first class this fall. Or perhaps you ve been teaching for a while and are at a point at which you could use some ideas and encouragement. A Sunday School Moses I ve been there too. I ve been teaching Sunday school for over four decades and have thought a lot about what it means to be a Sunday school teacher. I ve concluded that Sunday school teachers are like Moses in the Old Testament. The comparison may sound far-fetched you and Moses? True, you weren t hidden in the reeds along the banks of the Nile River. Nor did you grow up in a magnificent palace of an Egyptian pharaoh. But the comparison is there. Let s take a look back, recall some things about Moses, and compare what he experienced in his life with life as a Sunday school teacher. Uncertainty Do you remember the biblical account of Moses and his encounter with God at the burning bush in the desert? God spoke to Moses from the burning bush and told him that he had been selected to lead God s people out of slavery in Egypt. Moses definitely had his doubts. He spoke his concerns to the Lord: Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh? (Exodus 3:11) Then what shall I tell them [the Israelites]? (Exodus 3:13) What if they do not believe me? (Exodus 4:1) I have never been eloquent.... I am slow of speech and tongue. (Exodus 4:10) 1
YOU Can Teach Sunday School Please send someone else to do it. (Exodus 4:13) I remember the first time I was asked to teach Sunday school. My concerns pretty much lined up with Moses objections: Why me? Will I actually be able to teach? What if the kids don t learn from me? I m not a teacher. How will I be able to stand in front of a class and teach on a child s level? Lord, maybe you ve made a mistake in asking me. We can add to that list: I ve never taught Sunday school before. My plate is already full, and I don t think I can find the time. I m not familiar enough with all the Bible stories I will have to teach. Mrs. teaches so well. I could never teach like her. God Provides It s not unusual for new Sunday school teachers and even experienced Sunday school teachers to have their doubts. After all, we want the best teachers to teach our children about God and his Word. And we are not so sure that s us. That is why we are grateful that God knows our every doubt and fear. Best of all, he addresses each and every one of them. God provided Moses with everything he needed to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. He can provide you with everything you need to help lead the children of your congregation into his Word. When Moses had concerns about his lack of speaking ability, God provided Moses brother, Aaron, to help him (Exodus 4:13-17). Likewise, God doesn t leave you without support. St. Paul said, It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up (Ephesians 4:11,12). God has provided you with a pastor, with other experienced Sunday 2
The Joys, Blessings, and Importance of Teaching Sunday School school teachers, and with a Sunday school superintendent who gladly will help you along the way. These people understand the needs of the first-time teacher and want to encourage every Sunday school teacher throughout the Sunday school year. They will help prepare you for the works of service you are being called on to do. God also gave Moses words and miracles to convince the Israelites and Pharaoh that Moses was the one God wanted to lead his people to the Promised Land. You too will have what you need to teach your Sunday school class. You won t have miracles, but you will have God s Word, which the Holy Spirit uses to work the miracle of faith. You also will have good teaching materials to use as you prepare your lessons. The Christ-Light curriculum materials offer doctrinally sound lesson materials for you and your students to use. When I started teaching Sunday school, I was clueless about how it was done and what was expected of a Sunday school teacher. Although I had attended a Lutheran grade school, I had never been to a Sunday school class. Without the help of others and good materials to use, I m sure my learning experience would have been much more difficult and my teaching career would have turned out quite differently. How thankful I am that God provided exactly what I needed, and he will do the same for you. The Best Promise When Moses stood before Pharaoh and as he led the people through the desert, God himself promised always to be with him. And God kept his promise. So also, God is with you every step of the way. He s there with you as you study each lesson, as you gather your teaching aids, and as you present his Word to his dear children. The words the Lord spoke to Joshua are true for us also: As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you ( Joshua 1:5). And when Jesus commanded us to go and baptize and teach all nations, he promised, Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20). Nothing can be more reassuring than to know that God is with you and is blessing what you do. Prepared to Serve God works out all things in accordance with his plan. Romans 8:28 tells us, We know that in all things God works for the good of those who 3
YOU Can Teach Sunday School love him, who have been called according to his purpose. In fact, he does this so well that people don t even realize he has been at work in their lives. After the Egyptian princess found baby Moses and adopted him as her own son, she knew she needed someone to nurse and care for him. It was not by chance that she chose Moses own mother. God made a way for the young child Moses to grow up in his own parents home along with his own brother and sister. Moses learned God s Word from his parents and knew of God s promises to his people. With this foundation, Moses entered Pharaoh s household. As the adopted son of the princess, Moses was given a top-notch education and all the advantages of living in the royal palace. Moses became a wellrounded young man whom God equipped for what he was to face in the future. Then he had to flee into the desert. God used that time to help Moses grow in humility and learn how to live in the desert. God used all those experiences in Moses life to prepare and equip him to lead the Israelites through the desert to the Promised Land of Canaan. We are God s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). Can you relate to that? I know that I can look back over the events and experiences in my own life and see God s hand preparing me to serve him as a Sunday school teacher. If God has led you to be a Sunday school teacher, you will be able to say the same thing. Often God equips us in very natural ways. If you re a parent, God has already prepared you to teach. After all, who taught your child about Jesus? or how to talk? or walk? or hold a spoon? or pray? or tie a shoelace? or ride a bike? or handle life experiences? Those are things parents teach their children. If you ve taught a child any of those things, you are a teacher. That s true whether you re a parent, a brother or sister, a grandparent, a relative, a neighbor, or a babysitter. Anytime you have been around children, God has been preparing you to be a teacher. A Servant s Heart Moses loved his people, the Israelites, and he wanted the best for them. 4 1. He wanted them to love and serve the Lord. 2. He wanted them to be released from the bondage of Egyptian slavery.
The Joys, Blessings, and Importance of Teaching Sunday School 3. He wanted them to return to the Promised Land of Canaan. Doesn t that describe you, dear Christian? Indeed it does. You love the Lord, and you love God s people. Like Moses, 1. You want them to love and serve the Lord every day of their lives. 2. You do not want them to become entrapped by Satan s lies and held captive in the bondage of sin. 3. It s your desire that one day they will stand with their Savior in the promised land of heaven. It s both humbling and encouraging to know that God can use you to lead his children on those paths. There is a hymn stanza that I really like. Sometimes it sings through my mind as I prepare my Sunday school lessons: If you cannot speak like angels, If you cannot preach like Paul, You can tell the love of Jesus; You can say he died for all. If you cannot rouse the wicked With the Judgment s dread alarms, You can lead the little children To the Savior s waiting arms. (Christian Worship [CW] 573:2) The gospel message found in God s Word is the most important truth the children will ever hear, and they will hear it from you. I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). From infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:15). Previous generations passed on God s Word to us, and now it s our generation s responsibility to teach the future generations about the Lord. O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. What we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done (Psalm 78:1,3,4). Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come (Psalm 71:18). Great is the LORD and most worthy of 5
YOU Can Teach Sunday School praise.... One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts (Psalm 145:3,4). Sunday school teachers play an important part in passing the knowledge of God s goodness to the next generation. Learning Times and Leaning Times Throughout his life, Moses didn t always experience spiritual highs. He definitely had times of challenge and discouragement. Will there be times of challenge for you as you teach? Yes, there will. I have experienced them, as has every other Sunday school teacher. Will every moment of preparation be exciting? Will every class period be your best experience ever? There are no such guarantees. When challenging times come, you can look on them as learning times and leaning times. I call them learning times because you will have the opportunity to ask your teacher peers for help and learn from their experiences and suggestions. As you rethink how to prepare and teach your lessons, you also will learn more about yourself as a teacher. For example, you may learn that you need to do more in-depth preparation or that you re teaching above your students comprehension level. Or your peers may help you better understand how children learn and what keeps them from learning. For example, you may find that your children learn better by reading than by listening, or they might learn better by engaging in an activity than by just answering questions. Perhaps you ll learn more about God s Word and how to present it (or how not to present it) to the children. When those challenging times come along, don t be discouraged. Look at them as opportunities to hone your knowledge and teaching skills. Consider each of those times as a tap on the shoulder to alert you to something you need to examine, evaluate, and learn. There is a saying, If you want to learn, teach. Sounds strange, doesn t it? We expect teachers to teach and students to learn. But the saying is correct. How can you teach what you have not already learned for yourself? Now that may scare you a little, because you probably don t know everything that you will be expected to teach. I know I was scared at first. However, as I began to prepare my lessons, I noticed that what I didn t know was right there for me to read in my lesson materials. I could study and learn so that I would be able to teach the truths to my class. Therefore, as I prepared my lesson, I also learned more and more about God and 6
The Joys, Blessings, and Importance of Teaching Sunday School his Word. You also will find that to be true. As you study and prepare to teach each lesson, you will learn more and more about God s Word. This will be a great blessing for you. Sometimes I tell my students that as old as I am and as long as I have taught Sunday school, I m still learning more wonderful things from God s Word. That fact surprises them, because kids tend to think their teachers should know everything. But I want them to know it s important always to be in God s Word and to continue learning from it throughout their lives. In fact, we know that time spent in God s Word is an investment that pays off in spiritual dividends far beyond anything this world can give. Times of challenge will be leaning times too. When problems, discouragements, or frustrations come, you will learn to lean on the Lord. So we know and rely on the love God has for us (1 John 4:16). Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). During these learning and leaning times, also remember these verses: It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose (Philippians 2:13). You [God] will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal (Isaiah 26:3,4). God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours (Mark 11:24). Yes, I ve had both learning times and leaning times. And God used those times to bring me closer to him and make me a better teacher. What a blessing that has been! Motivation So what is the motivation for taking on the great responsibility of teaching Sunday school? There is only one. As a blood-bought child of God, you have been saved from eternal damnation in hell. And this salvation, along with all its blessings, has been showered on you, an undeserving sinner. Knowing the amazing love of God and the hell from which Jesus has saved you will motivate you to serve him in whatever way he has equipped you to serve whether it is as a Sunday school teacher or in some other way. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This 7
YOU Can Teach Sunday School is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 4:9,10). We love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19). Serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13). Christ s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all (2 Corinthians 5:14). We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard (Acts 4:20). Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Colossians 3:17). Yes, you and other Sunday school teachers are like Moses in many ways. You ve been given the honor of teaching God s Word to his children. It is through the Word that the Holy Spirit leads his children closer to him as they journey through this life to their home in heaven. I m not writing these things to convince you to be a Sunday school teacher. Only God can do that. I m writing them because they re true and I want you to know what an important calling this is. Not only important but it also is a privilege and joy. Even today I encourage my Sunday school students to consider teaching Sunday school when they grow up. Our children are a trust from God, and they are special to him. They have a world of temptations and distractions pulling at them daily pulling them away from God. Yet as they sit in the Sunday school class, you will see that they are like little sponges, readily soaking up the truths of God s Word. You won t merely be teaching Bible history. And you will certainly not be teaching your children fables or fairy tales. You will be teaching them about true events that God has told us about in his Word. You will be teaching your children what God wants us to know about him, about his plan of salvation, and about eternal life through Christ. You will also be helping your students apply God s Word to their daily lives. What a joy to see children s eyes light up when you are making a point and they get it, or when a truth from Scripture clicks with them. It s like a light has turned on inside them and they understand something they didn t understand before. They ve learned something wonderful from God s Word. The Holy Spirit has reached down, and through his Word he has turned on that light. At such times, it warms my heart to be part of God s plan. As you teach, you will witness the children s love for the Lord and their knowledge of him increase each year as they advance from one class 8
The Joys, Blessings, and Importance of Teaching Sunday School to another. A joy will fill your heart when you see how the children in your class have grown in the Lord and matured in their faith. Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it (Proverbs 22:6). Over the years the Lord has allowed me to see Sunday school students I ve taught go on to become Sunday school teachers, pastors, Lutheran school teachers, strong lay leaders, and dedicated church members. As a Sunday school teacher, it is a blessing to be used by God as a small part of his kingdom work. Are You Ready? Are your heart and mind ready to teach? If so, you re probably wondering, How do I actually do it? Or, Where do I begin? Well, God has provided help for you. Look in your congregation. Look in the Christ-Light teacher s guides. And read on in the following chapters. Always remember: What was true for Moses is true for you. God calls, provides, promises, prepares, enables, and blesses. I pray you will treasure the special role you now have or have been asked to play in God s plan for his children. Thanks be to God! 9