As the co-chairs of the Faith Formation Commission, it is our absolute pleasure to be participating in the kick-off of our annual campaign of joy as we prepare for the start of Sunday School on September 15th !
There is a lot of fun and planning behind the scenes to enable Sunday School to happen. When we celebrate the sacrament of Baptism, we, the congregation of this church, promise to support the faith formation of each baptized child. Our Sunday School is a part of our living out of that promise. As a part of this year’s kick-off of this joyful fulfillment of promise, we want to share with you excerpts from stories from members of our congregation who were answering one of these questions: “Why I’m a Sunday School teacher” or “Why does my child go to Sunday School.”
Jean Post-Winget: When our three children were growing up, I was very actively engaged in Sunday School, both teaching and in various leadership roles. I loved it. But, once our children were all Sunday School “graduates”, I accepted my own diploma and for the next decades, I considered myself to have completed my duty as I passed the torch to others…Then, three years ago, in August, the church was preparing to reopen as an in-person Sunday School following the long COVID shutdown. I found myself agreeing to put my professional background to work in developing the teacher training for the September reopening. During that training meeting, I was introduced to some wonderful, dedicated people whose spirit and enthusiasm were infectious So, I rather reluctantly agreed to volunteer, but said, this is short-term, and I don’t want to teach. And now three years later, I’m still there and I do teach. I am a very blessed member of a happy and supportive little community that includes wonderfully lovable, joyful children and amazing youth and a very caring group of adults. And, my life has been truly enriched!
Suzy Rishel: About 20 years ago, when my sons were young, my family joined this church. We were encouraged to enroll the boys in Sunday school. Shortly after they started, I was asked to be a Shepherd. This was the easiest job available – no teaching, just walking the kids to their classroom and watching the lesson.… As the years went by, I got more involved – always reluctantly, though. I was terrified to take on any responsibilities.… But for some reason I kept saying yes and found myself pleasantly surprised that I CAN do these things. It’s not just about the actual teaching part of it. It’s the people – the amazing kids and the other teachers. At first I was motivated by wanting my own children to learn about building their faith, then it was setting a good example about volunteering. Now it’s because I am encouraging many children to build their faith and recognizing those teachers who did this for my kids – And because I love doing it.
Alice Chin: I’ve volunteered for many opportunities to serve within this great church, whether they be deacon, elder, or Sunday School teacher, because I believe our faith is not just something we talk about — it’s something we live out, day by day. We shouldn’t just ‘talk the talk’, we need to ‘walk the walk’! Serving as a Sunday School teacher both helped me learn more about God and offered me the privilege of sharing this knowledge with the children. We live in a world overflowing with information and choices, Tim and I prioritized church because we believe it is important to give our children a strong foundation in faith. We want them to have an unwavering sense that they are deeply loved, and equip them with the tools they need to face life’s challenges with resilience, strength and fortitude, grounded in God’s love and teachings.
We hope that reading these excerpts gives you an idea of ways that you might support our children and our faith formation efforts.
~Connie Knapp and Jean Post-Winget, co-chairs, Faith Formation