By Elizabeth Krieger
Sunday School at ULC is a unique experience. Since there is not an abundance of children in the program, we combine grades for each class.
This year I teach a class of nine kids spanning from second to fifth grade. Initially this seems like something that shouldn’t really work well; after all, second to fifth grade is a pretty big range. However, it’s actually a great opportunity for the younger students to learn from the older students as well as the teacher, and it gives the older students a chance start learning how to be Christian leaders and mentors.
We started out the year getting to know one another and learning about the books of the Bible. The fifth graders have done this already, which makes it the perfect opportunity to use their knowledge to assist the younger ones.
The first week of Sunday School we played a game where all the kids worked together to put the books of the Old Testament in order from memory. The younger kids had a chance to make guesses, and the older kids helped to correct the ones that weren’t quite right. They made an excellent team; only a few books were mixed up. I’ve got a smart group on my hands!
We also talked about what we want to learn in Sunday School, and each student wrote down two things they would like to talk about on cards with their names, which are now hanging on the classroom wall. Included were ideas such as Christmas, the Romans, the books of the Bible, Good Friday/Easter, and how to be a pastor. It’s great to see such a variety of interests, and I’m excited to explore them with the kids.
I also like to include something from the sermon and readings for each week as well, which allows us to tie in what we’re learning in Sunday School with each other to what we’re learning in the church service with our families.
Sunday School this fall has been great, and I’m looking forward to an excellent year with a fantastic group of kids! Come and join us!
