How do I delete an entire thread I created, like this one, in one quick action?

[justme6272]

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[blackribbon]

You have already listed all the options that exist for the same thing as Sunday School classes...the same thing can be got through small groups, home groups, and Bible studies. The mega church my kids chose for us to attend when we moved here has some Sunday morning small groups but I don't know that most people attend those. They do have many bible studies and home groups that meet all over during the week and at all hours of the day. They can be at the church or at a public location or at someone's home. The purpose is to try to bind people together who live in the same community or have a particular need ( like single mothers, widow, men only). My college age son attends 3 different ones a week and they are a huge part of his social life as a single man dedicated to Christian living. His may have overlapping people and are aimed at younger adults in their twenties.,,,both sexes and both married and singles and college and professionals.

 

[Jonaitis]

Our church plant started our first Sunday School a few months ago, and I cannot miss it. I use to attend a men's morning study at another church, and afterwards rush my way to my own church for normal services.

 

[blackribbon]

Personally, I have a hard time with anything labeled "Sunday School". It brings back memories of the classes I attended as a kid and grew to hate. They tended to underestimate our ability to learn and understand the Bible and felt very dumbed down and patronizing. I don't think I have ever gone back from the age I no longer was require to attend. I do go to specific Bible studies occasionally and would love to find a small group that would work with my night schedule job.

 

[justme6272]

I use to attend a men's morning study at another church, and afterwards rush my way to my own church for normal services.

I've thought about that, but the timing between the relevant churches won't work. The S.S. class of Church A continues all the way up until, and sometimes beyond, the start time of Church B's worship service that's 30 minutes away. I walk into Church B when it's half over. The gasoline bill backtracking in opposite directions from my house wouldn't help either.
Drat. Decisions, decisions.

 

[kittysbecute]

I went as a kid. I enjoyed elemenary and highschool. I didn’t enjoy jr high as much because the teacher would teach as if we didn’t know much. He was a nice person... I just didn’t get much from it except social time. Jr high youth group was awesome though and well taught.

I think a bible study would be good. I haven’t been inclined to attend sunday school as an adult. I think I went when visiting a church where sunday school was the norm for everyone in the church. It seems like a nice way to have smaller groups and discuss things.

I’m not going to vote on the poll because I thought sunday school was very useful and pleasant in my experience at my church as a child. But I don’t go as an adult and I don’t see the need. I think a bible study would be good though (which could be in the form of sunday school).

 

[Jonaitis]

I've thought about that, but the timing between the relevant churches won't work. The S.S. class continues all the way up until, and sometimes beyond, the start time of another church 20 minutes away that's already started by the time the first church's S.S. is over. Drat. Decisions, decisions.

I think you should define what S.S. is, since it appears that members here have varying views. I've always seen it as the same as a morning study, like a Wednesday night study. I suppose that not all churches treat S.S. the same way.

 

[justme6272]

I didn’t enjoy jr high as much because the teacher would teach as if we didn’t know much. Jr high youth group was awesome though and well taught.

 

[justme6272]

I think you should define what S.S. is, since it appears that members here have varying views. I've always seen it as the same as a morning study, like a Wednesday night study. I suppose that not all churches treat S.S. the same way.

I've edited the post to hopefully clarify what is and isn't Sunday Scho

I think you should define what S.S. is, since it appears that members here have varying views. I've always seen it as the same as a morning study, like a Wednesday night study. I suppose that not all churches treat S.S. the same way.

Perhaps I didn't word things well....I'll try again.

The S.S. class of Church A continues all the way up until, and usually beyond, the start time of Church B's worship service that's quite a distance away, 30 minutes that's 80% freeway. I'd have to walk into Church B when it's half over. The gasoline bill backtracking in opposite directions from my house wouldn't help either. No, church B doesn't have S.S., nor a home group I will attend. It's a smaller church with very few such offerings, none within driving distance. I decided this week I will not be attending any more church services for Church A. It would be just S.S. and leave. Even the next closest church, a large church just a few minutes away, (call it Church C) is half way over by the time I'd get there. If I leave Church A's S.S. class in time to get to either one, I'd be walking out of the class when it's only half done, not including 'prayer request' time which they schedule at the end. There was a period of a few months time when I would leave AFTER the teaching portion but before prayer requests, in order to walk into a Bible study group at Church C after their prayer request time, but before their teacher's lesson started, which didn't bother me, but I quit that class. If I did that now, it wouldn't help. I'd still be late to the worship service of either Church B or C, which I'd rather not do. In the case of Church B, I don't want to miss either the music or the sermon. In the case of Church B, I don't mind missing the music, but would still miss much of the sermon, which can be watched via the Internet in it's entirety on demand.

As things have been up until now, I'd much rather attend just a S.S. class and no church service than the other way around, and that's still the case, except that my respect for Church A's leadership has diminished, even though the class has it's own autonomy. I find myself asking, "Why would you want to attend a class where the commonality with others in the room doesn't even include supporting the church where the class takes place?" It's mainly because it's a singles class with a decent teacher (though the turnover of teachers is such that you feel like an unwanted foster kid that gets bounced around.) I've been able to mentally separate the singles class from the rest of the church up until now, but that ability is waning.

Easy peasy, right? Got any Excedrin? My head is about to explode.

 

[justme6272]

Personally, I have a hard time with anything labeled "Sunday School". It brings back memories of the classes I attended as a kid and grew to hate. They tended to underestimate our ability to learn and understand the Bible and felt very dumbed down and patronizing. I don't think I have ever gone back from the age I no longer was require to attend. I do go to specific Bible studies occasionally and would love to find a small group that would work with my night schedule job.

Thanks, but it's hard for me to relate cause I don't place importance on what they call it. I just used the words 'Sunday School' cause I thought everyone knew that it meant a Sunday morning smaller group Bible study, as opposed to the larger worship service or home groups that meet some other time.

 

[blackribbon]

Thanks, but it's hard for me to relate cause I don't place importance on what they call it. I just used the words 'Sunday School' cause I thought everyone knew that it meant a Sunday morning smaller group Bible study, as opposed to the larger worship service or home groups that meet some other time.

I get that. I understood that. Sunday morning groups (Sunday school) of any sort have a set time frame and have to end at a specific time even if the discussion just got deep. I'd rather do groups (Bible study, small group, home group) at a time where the needs of the groups are more in control than the clock...so not on Sunday morning.

 

[justme6272]

I'd rather do groups (Bible study, small group, home group) at a time where the needs of the groups are more in control than the clock...so not on Sunday morning.

I know what you mean. The S.S. class I've been going to (in a church led by men in suits that still want to be the only church in town to call it S.S., while everyone else there is dressed casual except for maybe a few old deacons), is scheduled to start a whopping 25-30 minutes or more BEFORE they actually start with announcements, followed by the lesson, followed by prayer requests that we always run out of time for, especially with certain people in the group who can't keep their prayer requests short and sweet. But that's another issue.

We're ALWAYS rushed and pressed for time at the end, which could be easily improved if not avoided altogether if they'd allow no more than 15 minutes chit chat time in the beginning. That extra 15 minutes would work wonders at the end, but I don't say anything cause I figure everyone else, including the teacher, has a brain and I wouldn't be saying anything they don't already know and could fix if they had the desire. Obviously, they don't, and aren't going to change just cause lil ole me suggested a solution that should be obvious. It's as if 'chit chat time' is the REAL priority, not the lesson or prayer requests. On top of that, they usually announce a lunch place where people can talk to their heart's content. But I guess that's not enough.

If they did change, then hopefully the stragglers who are accustomed to waltzing in 15-40 minutes late would see that things are going to start whether they're there or not, then arrive earlier once they know they can't get away with it without missing something, such as announcements, especially when many are mainly there for the social stuff anyway.

The equivalent of an education minister once insisted that we be OUT OF THE ROOM 30 minutes before the church service starts for no good reason, causing people to hang out somewhere for a half hour before the service starts....a long gap I've never seen in any other church and don't understand the why behind it. He's kind of a flake who can't be relied on for much other than making the rounds to all the classrooms SOME weeks, shaking a few hands to make it look like he's worthy of a paycheck for all that grand attention he affords people on Sunday. I can't think of anything else he does to earn a spot on the payroll, and he's never enforced his own 30 minute rule that he so adamantly insisted on once upon a time. I don't dare remind him of his folly. You can't talk to pastors nowadays without them reacting like egotistical children.

 

[Citanul]

I just used the words 'Sunday School' cause I thought everyone knew that it meant a Sunday morning smaller group Bible study, as opposed to the larger worship service or home groups that meet some other time.

I didn't. I've never heard that term used outside of the context of a children's ministry.

I voted "1" because Sunday morning small groups don't appear to be a thing here. My church doesn't offer them, and I don't think it's something that other churches I've visited do, although admittedly because I was just visiting I wouldn't have been paying much attention to things like that, so just might not have been aware of them. But it's not been something that's come up in conversation with other people, so if it does happen anywhere it doesn't appear to be all that common.

 

[bèlla]

I have attended a women's group and one for singles and left the latter quickly. I found the married group more enjoyable and would sit in from time to time. Overall, I preferred the women's bible study.

 

[justme6272]

I have attended a women's group and one for singles and left the latter quickly. I found the married group more enjoyable and would sit in from time to time. Overall, I preferred the women's bible study.

What things did you not like about the singles group?

 

[bèlla]

What things did you not like about the singles group?

It was comprised of singles 30+ and I know many were seeking companions. I've never engaged that way at church. My mind doesn't go there. It was more edifying to sit with the married group. And less chances for ogling.

 

[Niels]

It was important to me in the past, and might become important to me in the future, but it isn't something I attend now.

 

[Multifavs]

I went to Sunday School from 2nd to 8th grade. It was similar to regular school in how much I liked it - it was okay at first, 4th grade was my favorite year, and it started getting bad in 6th or 7th grade, thanks to some of the other kids. In 9th grade I went to classes to prepare for my Confirmation, which went all right. After that they had youth group, but I only went a few times. I started having near-daily anxiety around 10th grade so that made it hard to want to go. Plus, I felt left out there; they always had food there that I couldn't eat because of my allergies, and being shy didn't help. I also went to Vacation Bible School around 1st or 2nd grade which was fun.

Sunday School probably is important because kids can learn more about their faith. I didn't know they had it for adults as well...I'm not sure if I would enjoy it or not. I would like to go to something at my church sometime but shyness and anxiety might make it difficult.

 

[Richard T]

As a kid Sunday school was highly important. As an adult though I cannot remember when I last attended. It is great if it is offered but I would be more interested in a midweek service than Sunday school, and that too is disappearing in many churches. The main thing is to try and find where you can fit in the best.