What We Do On Sunday AM and Why

There are two reasons we do what we do on Sunday AM during the Sunday School hour. First it is not an hour in the technical sense. We have our corporate worship service at 10 AM previous to SS @11 AM. Now sometimes the worship service runs over into the 11 o'clock hour. And since we have planned fellowship for about 10-15 minutes previous to SS...you can see why there is no chance for more than a 40 minute lesson. Also, because of the fact that we have SS after the worship service, I resist, for the High-Schoolers the temptation to do a typical Bible Study...I will explain in just a moment.

Jr. High SS
Since I am not the Jr. High SS teacher, we use the denominational material. I say "we" but really the work is done by a couple that are good friends and do a good job with the class. The good thing about Jr. High classes is that they are not in the position yet to be critical of what is going to be taught in any given context. For the most part they submit fairly easily to schedules and subject matter as long as it is done well. And that I have no worries about. They also go to bed before 4 AM which is more than I can say for the High-Schoolers.

Sr. High SS
Well, I gave up on SS for my Sr. High. Why, you ask? Well, for starters, they never go to bed so I cannot keep them awake at 11 AM. The Providence of God is wasted on sleepy headed teens after just hearing a sermon they are supposed to be digesting. So, I got to thinking and scrapped it all...o.k. not all of it but we do not do traditional SS. For the most pary we just sit around and talk about some issue. Sometimes I bring it and sometimes they bring something up. Regardless, it works. They stay awake. They learn something. And I get to know them and talk with them informally in an environemnt where they expect formal teaching. It works. Traditional SS was accomplishing nothing. This gets a lot accomplished in a half-hour.