For the first time this year, I did not have to teach a Sunday School class for our small group time. I was STOKED. I mean, I love teaching, but I wanted to wander the classrooms, get a few pictures and see what the teachers needed help with in their classrooms. I reached one class and sat down to chat with the kids for a while. We started doing highs and lows, which is something we do every Sunday with our kids. “What’s one thing you liked about this week?” I asked, fully expecting to hear about birthday parties or fun outings with their parents. But one little girl chimed in and said, “I like the thing we did about the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” I was floored. After we signed the Bible verse together (which was the verse from two weeks prior), I was in awe at how many of these kids remembered it. It was one of those moments that reminded me that even if they don’t seem like they are fully understanding it, even when they moan and groan about having to be at Sunday School, they are getting the take home message. The Holy Spirit is working in their hearts and inspiring them daily. And they are SUCH a blessing to me.
One Sunday, we were talking about Peter’s miraculous escape from jail (found in Acts 12). As I was trying to figure out what to do for a lesson in our large group meeting time, I decided to simply tell them the story. After all, I have a TON of energy (and with kids around I have even more), so I figured I could probably make the story fun in some way or another.
As I started the story, I realized that this was a story I could potentially get all of the kids to act out with me. So we all became Peter. We fell asleep, we drowsily were walked out of prison by the angel, we showed up at the house the disciples were gathered at. It was so fun to watch and be a part of. I wish I had it on video to watch it again!
All of our offering money from Sunday School is going to an organization called Bring Me Hope. This amazing organization hosts Summer Camps for orphans in China every summer, bringing them out of the orphanages they reside in and giving them a week to be kids, have fun, play, and hang out with people who love and care about them. As we were preparing to meet one of the people who play an intricate part of this organization, I decided that one Sunday we would watch part of the documentary they made about a little girl named Hannah. One of the Sunday School families was spending a weekend at their cabin, but when the kids found out that we were watching part of the documentary that Sunday, they told their parents that they had to be in Sunday School that week. As a result, the whole family made the three hour drive back to church on Sunday morning.
My favorite part about this job is getting to know each and every kid. It’s kinda hard with over 100 kids signed up for Sunday School, but there are some kids who seek me out and try hard to have a friendship with me. With these kids I have become something of a celebrity... they get SUPER excited when they see me. One little boy in particular makes me smile every time. When he sees me in the morning, he gets a big smile on his face and his cute cheeks smoosh until you can hardly see his eyes. He never says much to me, besides giving me a hug and looking at me. I was able to co-teach in his classroom one Sunday and he just thought that was the greatest thing. For me, the greatest thing was actually talking with him that Sunday, hearing what he knew and understood about our story and getting to know him a little bit better.
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