It is natural for an Adult class with a missionary mentality to plan for reaching folks in people groups similar to the class members, whether by age or life stage. When that happens, growing classes and new classes become common among adults…but who is targeting kids?
David Francis wrote, “A disturbing trend among Sunday School and small group ministries over the past couple of decades is the emphasis placed on adult groups. The Sunday School movement started with an emphasis on kids, with adult classes coming later, partly in response to the question, ‘What do we do with the adults while the kids are learning?’ Today that has—I believe unfortunately—switched. The question I hear pastors wrestling with now is ‘What do we do with the kids while the adults are enjoying their classes or small group?’ I think that’s the wrong question.” (Transformational Class, p. 14, © LifeWay Press, 2010)
- If your class is targeting parents of preschoolers, children, or teens, work with your Sunday School director to help evaluate the capacity of the corresponding kids’ classes to accommodate children who may come with their parents.
- Encourage class members to support and participate in outreach activities of your church to reach kids, such as Vacation Bible School, after-school programs, Upward basketball leagues, or a community Easter egg hunt.
- Be willing to move to a less desirable classroom when your current class space is needed for a new or growing kids’ class.
- Lead your class to “adopt” a preschool or school-age class for the year (or several years). Pray specifically for the kids and their teachers. Take a group picture of the kids and teachers and display it prominently in your classroom. Invite the kids to visit your class one morning for a few minutes at the beginning of the session. Provide a party for the kids on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Ask the teachers to identify something they would like to have in their classroom to enhance learning and deliver it to the class for a Christmas gift. You get the idea!
- Pray for teachers for new kids’ groups.
- Be willing to send one of your class members as a “missionary” (teacher for the kids). Watch for a post later in the month on this topic.
- Say “yes” if God is calling you to be a missionary (teacher) for the kids.
Whether your Adult class is filled with young parents, retirees, single adults, or folks somewhere in the middle, don’t forget to be on mission for kids.
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Marie Clark is passionate about reaching and teaching children and has spent 25+ years working with grade-school kids as a volunteer in her church. She serves as team
leader for the Bible Teaching & Discipling Team of the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists.
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