dead Sunday School hour

[jsimms615]

The church I have recently started attending has about 130 or so in worship and averaging about 55 or so in Sunday School. Recenty there was a short survey in the bulletin about what could be done to change the Sunday School to get more people involved. I am not sure what the problem is in that I just started going there. But, it does seem that in most churches the Sunday School time reaches a lot less people than the worship time does. To the point that some churches have abandoned the Sunday School time all together and have groups during the week in homes.
I will add that this is in an area where literally thousands of people drive by the church daily and the potential to reach people is huge.
Have you experienced this in the church you attend? Do you go to a Sunday School class?

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

shalom

 

[maintenance man]

Have you experienced this in the church you attend? Do you go to a Sunday School class?

55 attending Sunday school out of 130 seems like a large number to me. At the church I attend (formerly Baptist, now non-denominational) we have about 1,500 in three different worship services, and I think less than half attend a Sunday school class or the more popular small groups that meet in homes and at the church.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Sunday school seems like overkill to me. Best to have a short sermonette before the main sermon and leave more focused teaching to a weekly bible study.

Also the whole church should hear all instruction, even the very young, for the sake of unity.

 

[nonaeroterraqueous]

Sunday school seems like overkill to me. Best to have a short sermonette before the main sermon and leave more focused teaching to a weekly bible study.

I suspect that the purpose of Sunday school has less to do with teaching than with fellowship. When I first started attending a Baptist church it was the Sunday school where we first sort-of got connected. The lessons aren't much, but there is a better chance for face time, there. Now that I can't attend it, I can see what I was getting from it.

Our church, like most, has a better service attendance than Sunday school, as though they want to get in and get out, with minimal human interaction, but I don't really know why people don't attend Sunday school.

 

[Jonaitis]

The church I have recently started attending has about 130 or so in worship and averaging about 55 or so in Sunday School. Recenty there was a short survey in the bulletin about what could be done to change the Sunday School to get more people involved. I am not sure what the problem is in that I just started going there. But, it does seem that in most churches the Sunday School time reaches a lot less people than the worship time does. To the point that some churches have abandoned the Sunday School time all together and have groups during the week in homes.
I will add that this is in an area where literally thousands of people drive by the church daily and the potential to reach people is huge.
Have you experienced this in the church you attend? Do you go to a Sunday School class?

I've experienced more empty pews in churches than Sunday School attendance. I have one Baptist church in the same neighborhood that only has seven members, that's including the elder, his wife and the pianist. However, the sanctuary is massively huge. Same with another Baptist church in town. The building is large, but the congregation is about a handful. My church is quite small already, twenty members is considered average in ours.

I don't attend Sunday School as much as I use to, but I have noticed that those that are serious about Scripture attend, while those that aren't tend to stop coming after several weeks. I don't think it is the method that is the problem. The reason I have been off and on is because I don't like getting up early, that's a poor excuse though. I've been a member of Southern Baptist Churches for most of my life, and services usually started at 11:00 and Sunday School at 9:45. Now attending this church I am in, service starts at 10:00 and class starts at 9:00. Some Baptist churches in town start at 8:00 for regular service, I cannot imagine class, I am too tired to get up (I work on Saturdays).

 

[HantsUK]

(Adult) Sunday School is an American thing. In the UK, Sunday School is what the children go to or do during the sermon.

 

[jsimms615]

(Adult) Sunday School is an American thing. In the UK, Sunday School is what the children go to or do during the sermon.

Yet, the origin of Sunday School is British in the 1780s.

 

[HantsUK]

Yet, the origin of Sunday School is British in the 1780s.

Yes.

They were stated to provide education to children from poor families, and who who worked Monday to Saturday, and also to keep them out of trouble. Churches set up Sunday Schools to teach literacy, using the Bible as a textbook.

Now, with all children going to school (state or public) during the week, Sunday Schools no longer give basic education, and today give Christian and Bible teaching to children while their parents are in the main church service. In Britain Sunday Schools have remained for children, not adults.

 

[Sam91]

Yes.

They were stated to provide education to children from poor families, and who who worked Monday to Saturday, and also to keep them out of trouble. Churches set up Sunday Schools to teach literacy, using the Bible as a textbook.

Now, with all children going to school (state or public) during the week, Sunday Schools no longer give basic education, and today give Christian and Bible teaching to children while their parents are in the main church service. In Britain Sunday Schools have remained for children, not adults.

As a British person I agree. I thought this post was about Sunday School for children.

What is Sunday school in the US? I'm cringing at how I may have posted responded to other posts over the years thinking they were talking about children's ministry.

 

[jsimms615]

Yes.

They were stated to provide education to children from poor families, and who who worked Monday to Saturday, and also to keep them out of trouble. Churches set up Sunday Schools to teach literacy, using the Bible as a textbook.

Now, with all children going to school (state or public) during the week, Sunday Schools no longer give basic education, and today give Christian and Bible teaching to children while their parents are in the main church service. In Britain Sunday Schools have remained for children, not adults.

Some churches in US have a children's time where they leave the main service and go somewhere else to do their own service or lesson. But, we call that children's church not Sunday School

 

[HantsUK]

Some churches in US have a children's time where they leave the main service and go somewhere else to do their own service or lesson. But, we call that children's church not Sunday School

As a British person I agree. I thought this post was about Sunday School for children.

What is Sunday school in the US? I'm cringing at how I may have posted responded to other posts over the years thinking they were talking about children's ministry.

Oh the joys and pitfalls of sharing a similar but different language and culture.

My Sunday School (English meaning) used American teaching material at one point, and I remember that some of the stories didn't make sense. I was always puzzled as to why the American homes in the stories had back yards but not gardens. This was very different from homes in the UK, or, for that matter, any American homes I saw on TV (they had gardens, not yards).

The Sunday School Movement is an example of Christians and churches being involved in social action, and had a profound effect on British society.

 

[jsimms615]

As a British person I agree. I thought this post was about Sunday School for children.

What is Sunday school in the US? I'm cringing at how I may have posted responded to other posts over the years thinking they were talking about children's ministry.

Sunday School hour in the US usually happen before the worship time in classrooms. There are classes for all age groups and usually there is a curriculum of some kind. In the US it is not just for children

 

[Sam91]

Oh the joys and pitfalls of sharing a similar but different language and culture.

My Sunday School (English meaning) used American teaching material at one point, and I remember that some of the stories didn't make sense. I was always puzzled as to why the American homes in the stories had back yards but not gardens. This was very different from homes in the UK, or, for that matter, any American homes I saw on TV (they had gardens, not yards).

The Sunday School Movement is an example of Christians and churches being involved in social action, and had a profound effect on British society.

I'm using the app Duolingo to improve my French and it's using American vocabulary. This occasionally leads to confusion when I'm looling for the correct words.

 

[Sam91]

Sunday School hour in the US usually happen before the worship time in classrooms. There are classes for all age groups and usually there is a curriculum of some kind. In the US it is not just for children

Is it like a Bible study or a sermon/lecture with the opportunity to ask questions?

Sunday school for my son involves a picture bible story, some art and craft related to the story, a snack and a song. This happens during the adult's sermon. The children remain with us while we worship and unite in prayer until they leave for Sunday school. For my daughter it is a bible study, prayer and a small chat.

 

[jsimms615]

Is it like a Bible study or a sermon/lecture with the opportunity to ask questions?

Sunday school for my son involves a picture bible story, some art and craft related to the story, a snack and a song. This happens during the adult's sermon. The children remain with us while we worship and unite in prayer until they leave for Sunday school. For my daughter it is a bible study, prayer and a small chat.

different classes have different teaching styles. Some are more discussion based and some more lecture.

 

[OzSpen]

Yet, the origin of Sunday School is British in the 1780s.

jsimms,

That's true, but the origin of Sunday School in England was for education of the illiterate and not for Christian education:

It is important to realize that Sunday schools were originally literally schools: they were places were poor children could learn to read. The Sunday school movement began in Britain in the 1780s. The Industrial Revolution had resulted in many children spending all week long working in factories. Christian philanthropists wanted to free these children from a life of illiteracy. Well into the 19th century, working hours were long. The first modest legislative restrictions came in 1802. This resulted in limiting the number of hours a child could work per day to 12! This limit was not lowered again until 1844. Moreover, Saturday was part of the regular work week. Sunday, therefore, was the only available time for these children to gain some education (When Did Sunday Schools Start? Christian History).​

Oz

 

[faroukfarouk]

Is it like a Bible study or a sermon/lecture with the opportunity to ask questions?

Sunday school for my son involves a picture bible story, some art and craft related to the story, a snack and a song. This happens during the adult's sermon. The children remain with us while we worship and unite in prayer until they leave for Sunday school. For my daughter it is a bible study, prayer and a small chat.

It's a very wonderful and important time for them to hear God's Word...

 

[baptist4life]

We have on average 275-300 people on Sunday mornings. Normally, 250+ also attend S/S. We have seven adult S/S classes (different teachers and topics), a Nursery-2 year old class, 3-5 pre-school class, and 1st-3rd grade, 4th-6th grade, 7th-8th grade (jr. high), high school, and college age classes.....ALL well attended. Our S/S program is thriving.

 

[thecolorsblend]

The church I have recently started attending has about 130 or so in worship and averaging about 55 or so in Sunday School. Recenty there was a short survey in the bulletin about what could be done to change the Sunday School to get more people involved. I am not sure what the problem is in that I just started going there. But, it does seem that in most churches the Sunday School time reaches a lot less people than the worship time does. To the point that some churches have abandoned the Sunday School time all together and have groups during the week in homes.
I will add that this is in an area where literally thousands of people drive by the church daily and the potential to reach people is huge.
Have you experienced this in the church you attend? Do you go to a Sunday School class?

I read somewhere that a lot of places are abandoning the Sunday School model for a whole host of reasons: logistics, security, cost and other things. I've also read that a lot of family these days resent being split up.

So it's possible that the trend toward eliminating Sunday School for children has many causes.