Play! Listen! Talk!

What do preschoolers, paint and puppets have in common? They are all elements of a fun first day of Sunday School! One by one, preschoolers came to the door on their first day of Sunday School, peeked in and then found a place with a play activity. Do you have kids in your class who are reluctant to leave mom or dad? I’m always amazed at the way simple play materials like toy dishes and toy animals can quickly engage a child who had just been clinging to his or her parent.

Watching the kids play, I thought of people who might be a little anxious about their ability to teach kids, or who aren’t sure what to do because they’ve never taught kids before. If you are wondering if Sunday School teaching is for you, here’s the question to answer: Do you like to play and talk? If you do, then you have all the requirements needed to be a Sunday School teacher. You don’t have to be able to memorize a story to tell, or sing a song in tune, or quote a Bible passage. Here’s how it worked for us: Today while we were building with colorful blocks, we listed things God made of the same colors as the blocks. As we played with the toy dishes, we talked about things God made to grow so we can have food to eat. (We were even brave enough to use nature items as paintbrushes!)

So get ready to play, listen and talk with kids and you can have a fun first day of Sunday School, too! (And it doesn't hurt to have Daffodil the Duck Puppet or Buddy the Dog Puppet on hand to help you make friends!)

“I’m not finished yet!” I thought today as I talked to Jacob, a 5-year-old boy who had been in my class this past year. I had suddenly realized that he would be moving on to the first grade class. And I almost panicked as I thought, “But I haven’t finished telling you God’s Big Story yet! There’s so much more for you to discover about your place in the Story!” I wished Jacob could stay in my class another year!

Looking back on the year he’s been in my class, I knew there had been missed opportunities when the number of kids was so large I was focused on crowd control, or I forgot the question or comment I should have made at just the right time to connect his play to the lesson’s Bible truth, or the block activity didn’t work the way I envisioned it. But now, ready or not, he’s moving on! I’m passing the baton to his next teachers. Now it’s their turn to share with Jacob the discovery of who God is and His Big Story.

It’s amazing to think back on the teachers who shared that same discovery with me as I grew to know God. And it’s even more amazing to think of the teachers who all over the world are getting ready to share God’s Big Story with a new class of kids this fall. Aren’t you glad you’re a part of such an inspiring Story?

Anticipating the first day of Sunday School in just two short weeks, I took a look at the list of kids who will be in my class! This class of preschoolers includes

• one boy who barely talks and when he does he’s so quiet you can’t understand him,
• another boy who clings to mom every week, even after attending for over a year,
• a girl who can read and write,
• a boy who has never been in a class separate from his sister, and
• several bundles of energy!

After reading over the list of names, I wondered, "How am I going to meet the needs and establish the sense of security that each child needs—and at the same time, tell a Bible story, memorize a puppet script, and prepare for our fun not-to-be-missed Play to Learn activities?" Whew!

Here's my conclusion: It’s time to start praying! I’m praying for one child each day between now and our first day of teaching. It’s time to depend on God to prepare me and the kids (and their parents!). I’m praying that each child on the list (and more!) will be ready to come, and that parents will make the commitment to bring their kids regularly. Who’s going to be in your class? What are you praying for?

“I didn’t get a turn!” Kenna told me today. Have you ever heard those words in your class? These words are often heard in my preschool class. Whether it’s getting to tell the name of someone God loves, being the leader in the game or playing a favorite rhythm instrument, getting a turn is a big concern to preschoolers.

Sometimes I find myself passing over this concern with a quick response, “Don’t worry. You’ll get a turn.” But I’m thinking that I need to take the time to give a genuine response with eye contact and a smile. Why? Because I want the kids in my class to know that I truly care about what they care about. After all, they’re learning about Jesus’ love from me! And Jesus’ love is patient and kind and persevering. (Check out 1 Corinthians 13!)

So when we are playing, listening and talking, I’m going to do my best to make sure everyone gets a turn—and even more, that everyone knows that their concerns (big and little) are important to me.