Play! Listen! Talk!

What are your hopes and dreams for your Sunday School class?

When most of us were recruited as preschool teachers, we probably thought the job mainly consisted of keeping little ones from hurting themselves (or each other!), providing snacks, singing songs and telling Bible stories. And it’s true that all those things are part of playing, listening and talking with young children.

But it’s good to be reminded that our vision for Sunday School is more than just getting through the curriculum lesson plan. If you are like me, you want to feel that you are making a significant difference in the lives of young children. We’re all busy (and this time of year, busier than ever!). So as busy people, when we choose to spend time in ministry to children, we want to know that our time is well spent.

How does ministry happen? It happens when kids are eager to act out a Bible story. I know that the combination of words and actions is a great way to make a Bible story stick. It happens when two girls both try to sit on the same chair at the same time, and we have to stop and talk about what to do so we can follow today’s Bible verse: “Love your neighbor.” It happens when a child whispers, “Teacher, you pray for me” because he is just learning how to talk to God himself. Ministry happens when you least expect it.

I want to be a teacher with a vision for ministry—not only for myself as the teacher, but also for each child. Will you join me in seeing the most active, the most difficult or the most withdrawn child, not as a problem to be overcome, but as a person to be loved into God’s family?