Pinterest Lenten Resources for Orthodox Christian Church Schools

Blessed Fast!

St. Basil the Great’s Hymn of First Monday of Lent

“Let us fast an acceptable and very pleasing fast to the Lord. True fast is the estrangement from evil, temperance of tongue, abstinence from anger, separation from desires, slander, falsehood, perjury. Privation of these is true fasting.”

The Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education has Pinterest boards specifically organized and dedicated to aiding church school staff and parents during the Lenten Season. Click on the links below for direct access.

Great Lent

https://www.pinterest.com/aodce/lent/

Fasting

https://www.pinterest.com/aodce/fasting/

Holy Week

https://www.pinterest.com/aodce/holy-week/

Pascha

https://www.pinterest.com/aodce/pascha/

Interview with a Director of a Small Church School

Are you wondering what is it like inside other small church schools? 

How are they creatively working with resources...

How do they structure classes...

What curriculum/technology is being used...

What types of humanitarian projects are they doing...

The Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education (AODCE) has an ongoing series of interviews with church school directors throughout the Antiochian North American Archdiocese. Interviews can be found at: 

http://antiochian.org/category/christian-education/especially-directors

The most recent interview in the series is with Laila Ferris, director of the (small) church school at St. George Orthodox Church in El Paso, Texas. An abridged version is posted on the AODCE website, and the full version is available to you here:

Interview with Laila Ferris: Integrated Learning in the Digital Age

Laila Ferris has devoted 25 years and counting to serving as church school director at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, El Paso, Texas. Presently, there are 37 students enrolled and classes are organized by groups of two grade levels, plus grades 8-12 together as one class.

Which curricula do you use for Sunday classes?  

We use a combination of curricula/materials from the OCEC and from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese to support our students’ learning.  We also use online lessons provided by our Archdiocese Department of Christian Education.  The teachers develop lesson plans that use active and engaging learning activities through which the lessons are taught and learned.   We are presently working towards developing more opportunities for learning activities via apps and web-based programs for our students (as the digital generation) to expand their learning experiences.  Our plan is to be able to purchase iPads for use in the classrooms to support digital projects. But in the meantime, the church school staff will continue to use their personal devices to grow our instructional lessons digitally.

Are there any ethnic components to your church school/Christian education ministry?  

We have a diverse ethnicity among our students, whose connection to each other is their faith.  We incorporate ethnic diversity in our lessons with our students for Feast day celebrations/family traditions and music.  For example, in preparation for Pascha, our children learn to sing "Christ Is Risen" in English, Arabic and Greek, as well as learning the responses to "Christ Is Risen, Indeed He Is Risen" in languages other than English.

Does your church school participate in Humanitarian projects as a group?          

Our church school supports and participates in our parish's and Teen SOYO's Humanitarian projects such as food drives, clothing drives, and toy drives. We also participate in our parish's annual Senior Citizen Christmas Dinner and Dance. Every December, approximately 400 community senior citizens living in Federal Housing Authority retirement centers attend. Students pack goodie bags for the senior citizens, serve them at the dinner, assist them in several ways, and even dance with them.  We feel that connections are important to the well-being of many people, but the actual act of serving others, in person, will give our students life experiences which will grow their sense of empathy in the Christian way. This is an integral part of who we are to be and following our faith in becoming servant leaders.

What are some church school challenges/issues that you did not expect to encounter, and how have you addressed them?   

Challenges provide us with learning experiences and allow us to become better at what we do to support the teaching and learning of our faith with our students.  Challenges we have experienced are inconsistent attendance with some students over the years, and students not being on time for opening prayer with our parish priest. The church school staff have been diligent in letting students know that we miss them when they and their parents are not present.  We have implemented an incentive program for students who are present before opening prayer, known as our "Bible Buck" program. Students earn one "Bible Buck" for every Sunday that they are present prior to opening prayer.  We open our "Bible Buck" store for students to purchase religious items for themselves or family members.  The students now remind their parents to make sure that they get them to church school on time.

How does your parish show appreciation for church school staff?  

   Our parish family is truly supportive and appreciative of the church school staff. Their appreciation is shown through their support of the church staff's work by assisting, attending, contributing towards the staff's activities and classroom materials, and so on.  Their appreciation is also shown through words of thanks as well as "no" never being a part of their vocabulary for whatever may be needed by the staff.

What type(s) of training and resources specifically for church school directors can you recommend?

I believe that time is critical to ensure that church school staff can plan and discuss the upcoming year, share successful lessons and information, and work together as a team to support all the students in our church school.  I also feel that it is important for the church school staff to use their abilities and knowledge to engage the students in learning about their faith through a variety of resources and instructional methods. These include hands-on activities, digital activities, and creative projects.  The teacher/student relationship is also important. Church school staff need to get to know their students, their families, their interests, and their abilities. We can then better serve them through the right variety of resources and activities, and ensure their growing understanding of the Faith, not only in church school, but as they participate in Liturgy and practice at home and in their everyday life.  The responsibility to teach the children and teens of our parish is an awe-inspiring responsibility and the trust given to us to teach them is truly honorable and humbling.  We constantly remind ourselves of the quote stating, "our children are our future". But I also believe that they are our "present" which makes our work with them even more important, for the what occurs in the present ultimately impacts the future.  Hence, what we teach and what the students learn today, alongside their families, the parish priest, and the parish family, is how they will grow in their faith so that they may become followers of Christ for all of their lives.

Chapter Six: Guiding Principles

Christian Education in the Small Membership Church

Karen B. Tye

Chapter Six & Postscript Review by The Mustard Seed

We’ve covered a lot of material, considered many factors, focused on important guidelines, and widened our understanding of teaching and learning as we strive to build/improve the Christian education ministry within our small membership churches. Even though we already know this, it bears repeating: there is no one right way to do Christian education. So, what do we need to keep in mind as we educate in the small membership church? What guiding principles should remain before us as we think, dream, plan and do this important ministry? Certainly we refer often to the who, what, where, when, and how of Christian education as reminders of our mission. Additionally, the author provides big-picture insight and inspiration for education in the small church. Share these lovely quotes with your teachers during the year.

“Our small size is to be celebrated and cherished for the gifts it brings. We aren’t just a little church, or we don’t just have forty in worship on Sunday. We are a cell in the Body of Christ and can faithfully educate our members to do and live as God would have us. Small is beautiful.” (p. 84)

“Our work is to know and understand our particular small church and, working as a team with others in the church, to think through together what will work and what won’t in our educational ministry.”        (p. 85)

“Every community that wants to last beyond a single generation must concern itself with education…Whatever our size, education is essential in the community of faith.” (p. 85)

“Too often the resources we already have are hidden from view because we are focusing so much on what we don’t have…It is really a matter of learning to see in new ways. To use what we have, we have to see what we have. So start looking – you will be surprised at what you find!” (p. 87)

“Innovate, avoid ruts, adapt, and keep it interesting. That’s what the principle of imagine and improvise is all about.” (p. 87)

“…we don’t wait until failure is upon us to pray. Christian education in the small membership church is rooted and centered in prayer from the very beginning. Prayer reminds us of who’s really in charge here.” (p. 89)

“We cannot be too small to be faithful to God’s call. We cannot be too small to carry out effective Christian education. Without apology and without excuse, may we carry out the work of Christian education in the small membership church, knowing that God is with us and the world awaits. May we be faithful to the task!” (p. 91-92)

All quotes within this series of reviews are from the book “Christian Education in the Small Membership Church”, by Karen B. Tye, which is available for purchase through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books A Million. The book was reviewed by Anna-Sarah Farha, an associate of the Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education. Anna-Sarah enthusiastically supports the needs and efforts of Sunday Church School Directors and can be reached at aodce.csdirectors@gmail.com. For further support, join the Orthodox community of church school directors on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OrthodoxChristianChurchSchoolDirectors

Let us, as educators and church school directors, consider the words of St. John Chrysostom from his Lessons of Education, “Having children is a matter of nature; but raising them and educating them in the virtues is a matter of mind and will…Your children will always be sufficiently wealthy if they receive from you a good upbringing that is able to order their moral life and behavior. Thus, strive not to make them rich, but rather to make them pious masters of their passions, rich in virtues. Teach them not to think up illusory needs, reckoning their worth according to worldly standards…The youth to whom you give a good upbringing will not only enjoy general respect, he will also become dearer to you yourselves! Your attachment to him will not be a mere natural attraction -- it will be the fruit of his virtue.”

Chapter 5: Resources

Christian Education in the Small Membership Church

Karen B. Tye

Chapter Five Review by The Mustard Seed

“When we take a careful look at it, there is a lot at hand in terms of resources that can help us do the work of educational ministry in the small membership church. It is all in how we look at it.” (p. 69)

The topic of resources may seem overwhelming or discouraging to a small membership church, but we'll focus on three categories that are already available to us: people, space, and curriculum. Let's embrace and utilize what we know we have within our own parishes, and also learn about the resources available through the Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education (AODCE).

People

“We overlook the human resources and the role they play in Christian Education. Rather than overlooking them, we need to see that people are the most important resource we have.” (p. 70)

Recognizing and acknowledging the importance of our brothers and sisters in Christ within the parish in regards to Christian education is an important step; so, what else should we consider about them? We need to determine how this human resource blessing can be best used within our ministry. And to determine how to best engage people in the most helpful ways, we'll look at three clues that are especially helpful in the small membership church: teachers and leaders are called, we should use a team approach, everyone has gifts to share.

1.      Teachers and leaders are called: “There are those within our small membership church who display a deep love and respect for others, who have a passion for the gospel and for sharing it, who love to learn and invite others to love learning too. All of these are key qualities for those who teach and lead.” (p. 71) Once a teacher answers the call to teach within your Christian education ministry, be ready to support them by providing resources for the task, which we’ll soon cover more in-depth. Also, let them know that you value their time. “If the conventional Sunday school format on Sunday morning does not work in your church, you don’t waste a teacher’s time trying to make it happen. Instead, thought is given to doing education in other ways and helping those called to teach to use their gifts appropriately in different contexts.” (p. 71)

2.      Use a team approach: The author reminds us that Christ used a team approach in His work through the disciples, sending them out two by two (Mark 6:7). Likewise, we should never attempt to do this work alone. “Working as a team, the small membership church recognizes that everyone is a vital resource in the ministry of Christian education.” (p. 72)

Everyone has gifts to share: Church schools need people resources in addition to teachers. Often, parishioners feel that they have nothing to offer to Christian education because they are not called to be teachers. “Too often we look at what we can’t do rather than focusing on what we can do.” (p. 72) Remind them that we all have a gift to contribute to the work of education within our parish and no gift is too small in the eyes of God. Endless opportunities exist.

AODCE People Resources

The AODCE supports church school directors, teachers, parents, and all who participate in the work of Christian education at the local level. Each diocese within the North American Archdiocese has a Diocesan Coordinator available to assist parishes in organizing a church school and training its staff. Church school directors have a direct line of support through an AODCE associate who is focused on serving the needs of directors. Support is also available for the Creative Arts Festivals at the parish level. For more information, visit www.antiochian.org/christianeducation.

Space

“Space of any kind is a resource if we are able to see the possibilities in it. Our goal is space that is alive and conducive to being, playing, studying, praying, and working together.” (p. 73)

            Space can be in short supply in a small membership church, but let’s focus on quality over quantity. Almost any space can be transformed into a workable area for Christian education with a little vision, a little creativity, recycling/upcycling, a little paint. Small spaces can be made functional and inviting. The author gives an example of how a single classroom was transformed into a one-room school environment by adding a painted wall mural, placing a small platform in a corner for dramas and role plays, creating a craft area in another corner with a table and chairs, and using a remnant of carpet on the floor to define a story-telling area. When planning how to best use your space resources, first consider an area’s physical space, which is “its possibilities and limits, its condition, and the ways in which it facilitates our educational work.” (p. 74) Secondly, we should give equal consideration to emotional space, “the feelings and attitudes people experience in a particular environment.” (p. 74) Basic cleanliness and furniture/structures in good repair is the bare minimum. Invite students into an environment with sights, sounds, smells, and textures that will excite them and stimulate learning. Welcome them with warmth and care, and provide boundaries for “a sense of security, letting us know what we can count on in this space.” (p. 76)

Curriculum Materials

“There are some intentional and deliberate steps we can take that help us think through our needs, review the resources out there, and make good use of them…We take time to think about our congregation and what we want in the materials we choose. “ (p. 78)

            It is important to not feel trapped into thinking that because of limited financial resources Christian education ministries of small membership churches must settle for whatever curricula they can find and afford. It is important to remember that curriculum materials don’t teach; people do. Space teaches, too. This is why we’ve already discussed that people are your most important resource and preparing a proper space for learning is another critical step in building a healthy, productive educational ministry. Now, with that having been said, there are ways to explore various curricula and discover which resources best fit your parish’s needs.

1.      Get samples of the materials you are considering and spend time reviewing them.

2.      Make the review process a team effort with the leadership of your educational ministry.

3.      Explore the use of Orthodox Christian children’s literature as a curriculum resource.

4.      Receive an introduction to several popular curricula options plus corresponding order forms and recommendations for usage on the Curriculum page of the Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education: http://www.antiochian.org/category/christian-education/curriculum.

5.      Request feedback on the pros and cons of specific curricula from church school directors and church school teachers through the social media pages on Facebook dedicated to these types of discussions: https://www.facebook.com/OrthodoxChristianChurchSchoolDirectors/ and https://www.facebook.com/orthodoxchristiansundaychurchschoolteachers/.

6.      Access a full list of Orthodox Christian education resources on the Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education website: http://antiochian.org/online-resource-list-parents-and-teachers

7.      Download a full manual for church school directors from the Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education with a dedicated chapter to curriculum and resources: http://www.antiochian.org/sites/default/files/csdmanual2011.pdf.

8.      Once you’ve chosen curriculum, ensure that staff and volunteers are properly trained on how to use the materials.

9.      Supplement your lesson plans with church school activities found on the Antiochian Orthodox Department of Christian Education Pinterest page: https://www.pinterest.com/aodce/

10.  Evaluate how the curriculum is working. On a regular basis, check with teachers, parents, and youth and ask for their observations. We don’t wait to evaluate until a problem arises.

Further Reflection (p. 80-81)

1. How do you currently find the teachers and leaders you need for Christian education? What have you learned in this chapter that helps you rethink this?
2. Gather a group of people committed to Christian education in your church and take a walking tour of the Christian education space(s).

·   Look at the physical conditions. Where is there a need for cleanliness and repair? Who will be responsible for this?

·   In what ways does your space reflect hospitality, openness, and safety? What could be done to enhance these qualities even more? Who are the people in your parish who can help make this happen?

Summary

• People are the most important resource in Christian education.
• Every parishioner within a small membership church has a gift to share as part of the educational team. Even the smallest gesture can make a difference.
• Space is a resource, not a problem. By taking care of the physical space and devoting attention to the emotional atmosphere, an enjoyable learning environment is formed.
• Curriculum resources are an important tool for Christian education. We must take time to review and select the right materials for each of our unique small membership churches. The next step is to properly train teachers and volunteers, then continually evaluate how the curriculum is working within our educational ministry.

Up Next…

We will review the final chapter and postscript of “Christian Education in the Small Membership Church,” which will cover several of the author’s guiding principles for establishing a successful Christian education ministry within your parish, much like a concentrated summary of all the topics we have studied in greater detail in previous chapters.

Chapter 4: How: Clues to Education in the Small Membership Church

Christian Education in the Small Membership Church

Karen B. Tye

Chapter Four Review by The Mustard Seed

“…carrying out educational ministry in the church cannot be reduced to a step-by-step process and…there are no guarantees!” (p. 55)

How do we do Christian education? When considering the “how” of doing Christian education, we must think and reflect on the issues we’ve already addressed, such as who are the people we educate, where does education occur, what is our concept of education and how does that concept shape what we do. This is when the clues as to “how” to organize Christian education within our own parish start to appear. These clues will likely be unique to your own parish. Additionally, the author outlines five basic qualities along with two vital capacities, plus the use of story and ritual as essential components to doing Christian education in the setting of a small membership church. The five qualities are: experiential, reflective, relational, inclusive, and integrative. And the two capacities are imagination and improvisation.

1. Experiential – “We learn best when our whole selves are involved, when we see, speak, listen, move, smell, touch, and taste…Whether our setting is the Sunday school, the worship service, or an event in the life of the church, we need to think about how we invite the whole person into it.” (p. 57)
2. Reflective – “Experience alone isn’t enough…The brain can take in only so much material before it needs to reflect…Reflection involves head and heart, both thinking and feeling…Building in opportunities for reflection on both thoughts and feelings is vital to education…The small membership church already knows that numbers are not the most helpful measuring rods for success. So it doesn’t matter how much we cover in a lesson or how long the sermon is. It is more about how well we come to know and understand what we’ve heard and done.” (p. 57-28)
3. Relational – “Education is rooted in relationships…The small membership church is rooted in relationships too…What we need is to be intentional about this relational quality of the church and to build on it in important ways when we organize our educational ministry.” (p. 58)
4. Inclusive – “By its very nature, the small membership church lends itself to an inclusive Christian education…We include all ages together to do something. Such a perspective frees us from having to look like the larger church with its multiple classes, separate youth groups, and long list of group-specific activities.” (p. 59)
5. Integrative – “The small membership church needs to recognize that everything we do is educating and become intentional in working toward a holistic approach to its educational ministry. Planning church school, worship, and the various congregational events should be seen not as activities separate from one another but rather as all being a part of the educational work of the church.” (p. 60)

Now we should consider two capacities that are key to learning and can be quite helpful in planning and doing education in the small membership church. Fortunately, we all possess these capacities, even if we have to dig deep to discover our natural abilities. These capacities are imagination and improvisation. “Part of the work in learning to do education in the small membership church is recognizing, nurturing, and using these capacities. They provide vision and energy to see all the opportunities and possibilities for educating present in the small church context.” (p. 60-61)

1. Imagination – “[A] small variation in the routine can be exciting and wake up those brains that have become less alert because of routine…Invite as many people as possible to help you imagine. New eyes can see things that familiar eyes miss…Welcome curiosity and questions…Too often we think education is about answers when it is the questions that are critical. Learning to ask questions and explore possibilities engages the imagination and helps us see, learn, and discover new ways.” (p. 61-62)
2. Improvisation – “Improvisation is the capacity to act and to create in the moment in response to what is in one’s immediate environment…It can be very useful in the small membership church to help us take what we have and create educational ministry out of that, rather than worrying about what we don’t have and getting stuck in our complaints. Improvisation calls for attention to the moment and what is going on now. It asks that we take inventory of who we are, what we have, and think about the possibilities present in all of this.” (p. 63)

Lastly, after working through the qualities and capacities, we come to story and ritual. As Tye writes, “Small membership churches are places of story, and there are important stories to tell...How do we do education in the small membership church? We tell stories...Rituals are an important part of this storied process too...The way we begin our church school class, the prayer said before a meal, and order of worship we use, the way we pray in church, the devotional before a committee meeting – all of these are examples of rituals in the life of the church...Helping people see the stories represented in our rituals is a vital educational task.” (p. 64-65) Reading the author's words about story and ritual should resonate with us as Orthodox Christian educators. Ritual is a familiar, comforting, and natural part of Orthodox worship. Sharing the stories (Biblical and historical) represented in Orthodox rituals with students opens the door to learning our rich history and to deepened knowledge and understanding of the Faith.

Further Reflection (p. 66-67)

Engage in a brief writing exercise:

• Write the following on a piece of paper: “My church is...” Then start writing, putting down whatever comes into your head. Write for five minutes. Do not edit or worry about things like spelling or grammar. Just write!
• Make a list of the characteristics and qualities describing your church that are mentioned in your writing.
• Compare your list to the five qualities discussed in this chapter: experiential, reflective, relational, inclusive, and integrative. In what ways do the five qualities describe your church? In what ways is your church different?
• How are the qualities you've listed for your church influencing the way educational ministry is carried out there? How might you imagine doing it differently?

Summary

• While there is not a one-size-fits-all-small model for how to do Christian education in the small membership church, there are necessary components that must be included in order to maximize the efficacy of our efforts so that the desired result (firm knowledge of the Faith) within our students can be achieved.
• Christian education must be experiential, reflective, relational, inclusive, and integrative.
• Educators will discover new opportunities for education when we tap into our abilities to imagine and improvise.
• Connecting rituals with the stories that they represent will lead students to further comprehension of the Faith and why Orthodox Christians do what we do in the ways we do.

Up Next...

Now that we've covered the Who, Where, When, Why, and How of Christian education in the small membership church, we'll move on to the important topic of resources, specifically “people, space, and curriculum materials.” Discussion will focus on how to best use these resources and how the Antiochian Department of Christian Education (AODCE) can support our efforts through available resources on the AODCE website and social media sites, training opportunities, and curriculum materials.

Chapter 3: Where and When: Sunday School and Beyond

Christian Education in the Small Membership Church

Karen B. Tye

Chapter Three Review by The Mustard Seed

“When we think about where and when we educate in the church, our mode seems to be the hour on Sunday morning we have labeled “Sunday School.”…Assuming that Sunday School is the primary educational context prevents us from seeing other possibilities for the where and when of education in the church.” (p. 41)

As we learned in earlier chapters, Christian education in the small membership church often occurs in various times and places other than traditional Sunday School. “Christian education happens whenever and wherever the church meets, eats, worships, works, learns, plays, cares, and serves.” (p. 42). So, let’s discuss three contexts, including Sunday School, where education is happening in the small membership church (and hopefully in churches of all sizes): Sunday School, Worship, and events in the life of the church and community.

Sunday School

In Chapter 2, the author mentioned that the small membership church must creatively structure Sunday School to accommodate smaller numbers of students. How do we approach this? Keep in mind that lack of numbers or limited space does not have to be a problem, especially if we imagine school in different ways, such as the one-room school and homeschooling. “Older children learn by helping the younger ones. The younger children learn by observing the older ones…The likelihood of personal attention increases as the teacher has more time to move among the students and interact with the children who need it.” (p. 43)

The one-room school model requires space, but not a lot of space. The space needs to be open and have flexibility, be colorful and visually interesting. Teachers are necessary, but consider forming a teaching team rather than a single adult overseeing everything. Older children can be paired with younger children as a “faith buddy” (p. 43) and work together in class. When it comes to resources, continue to think creatively. In a church, no matter its size, “there is a wealth of gifts and talents waiting to be tapped. There are storytellers, artists, musicians, good cooks, carpenters, jacks- and jills-of-all-trades…Once we stop thinking about what we don’t have and begin to see what we do have, we will find the resources we need!” (p. 44)

By using a homeschooling model for Christian education, we are reminded that “parents are the primary religious educators of their children and that we need to help them with this privilege and responsibility.” (p. 45) Often, existing curriculum can be adapted into take-home packets for parents and grandparents to use with their children when discussing our Faith at home.

Worship

Worship and education cannot be seen as two separate functions. “Because worship is sometimes the only time a small membership church gathers, being aware of the educational opportunities in worship and how to make the best use of them is critical.” (p. 46) An important task for educators in a small membership church is to help our students understand the symbols (often seen in icons or inside the altar) and gestures they will see in the worship space, and what these symbols and gestures represent. Next, educators should recognize that “the way we worship is teaching us, too.” (p. 47) Students need to understand why we participate in the Liturgy in the ways we do so that they will intentionally participate based on firm knowledge of the Faith. For more information on how to encourage student participation in the Liturgy, visit the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Department of Education's blog, Orthodox Christian Parenting, for a full article and additional resources. “The Orthodox Church considers all of its members, including children, to be an important part of the Church’s life. Therefore it follows that even the children are needed to do this work/give this offering. So, if it is important that every member of the parish participate in this work/offering, but if it is a challenge even for adults to be fully present and engaged, what can be done to help the children?” https://orthodoxchristianparenting.wordpress.com/2016/05/18/on-helping-children-to-participate-in-the-divine-liturgy/

Events

“Core events [represented in the Liturgical calendar], unique congregational events, transitional events, and wider community events are all places in the life of the small membership church where education is happening, whether we realize it or not. Taking advantage of these natural gatherings and groupings, we can be more intentional about these contexts as places of education.” (p. 52) We can teach formally and informally during these events. It’s important to note that these events naturally allow inter-generational involvement, which we have learned is a strength of the small membership church. Being aware, being mindful, and being intentional of the educational opportunities present at these events will offer many possibilities for meaningful and creative Christian education.

Further Reflection (p. 54)

Pick an event important in the life of the congregation.

• In what ways are you currently educating through this event?
• What might be done to enhance the teaching and learning?
• What steps need to be taken to help this happen?

Summary

• We must look beyond Sunday School as the only time for Christian education to take place and instead see that the where and when of Christian education in the small membership church is everywhere and all the time.
• Yes, we should strive to improve our Sunday School, perhaps by considering non-traditional models such as the one-room school and homeschooling, while at the same time becoming aware that other natural settings in the context of Christian education in the small membership church are worship and parish events.

Up Next...

Are you now wondering in what ways we can apply the what, who, where, and when for a result of how to correctly and effectively do Christian education in the small membership church? There are many factors to consider and the next post will introduce new, necessary components of successful Christian education and discuss how these components build upon what we've already covered to produce a Christian education model that can be fine-tuned for your parish's unique and individual needs. 

Chapter 2: Who: It's All About the People

Christian Education in the Small Membership Church

Karen B. Tye

Chapter Two Review by The Mustard Seed

“We teach people, not lessons. It doesn’t matter where we are or what we are teaching, people are at the heart of the educational endeavor. This is especially obvious in the small membership church. We can’t hide behind numbers and assume people will be there to take part in whatever is planned. In the small membership church, we have to think about the people, who they are, what they want and need, and what we can expect of them.” (p. 19)

We must always consider the “who” when discussing Christian education: the participants. In the second chapter, the author proposes that the discussion begin by reflecting on “our general commonalities as human beings. What do we have in common that impacts the work of education?” (p. 19) After establishing how we are alike, we then carefully study our differences. “What is different about people in the small membership church that affects Christian education there?” (p. 20) When considering the commonalities and differences, group the members of the parish in order of children, youth, and adults to better recognize the specific and differing needs of these individual groups.

Understanding the commonalities we share is vital to the work of education. The author highlights three of these commonalities and urges educators to remember these commonalities as they will fundamentally influence our efforts in developing a solid Christian education program:

1.      People are biological beings. “It is important to remember that the people we work with in education in the church are biological beings. This affects the way they interact with the world and the way they learn.” (p. 20) Everyone has biologically based abilities and limitations, and depending on which stage of biological development a person has reached, certain tasks are not yet possible or are no longer possible. Young children may not have developed fine motor skills yet, so Bible lessons using whole-body, big movements may be more comfortable than cutting and pasting intricate figures. Studies suggest that adolescents operate on a different internal clock than children and adults, which can explain lack of energy on Sunday mornings – “finding other times to involve him in church may be an important education move based on biology.” (p. 21.) And adults experience a decline of sight and hearing with age. Plan accordingly for adult education events by ensuring that they can hear what is being said and can see what is printed on handouts.

2.      People are on a developmental journey. This is our “cognitive development”, knowing and understanding. “Think carefully about what children will hear and how they are developmentally ready to interpret what they hear when working with the Bible with them.” (p. 22)

3.      People are learners. We all have a brain. We all use our brains to learn. “Our work in education is to help [people] learn in ways that are brain-friendly, that work with their brains and utilize all the rich potential in those brain cells.” (p. 23)

Now, let’s move on to the differences we share. The author focuses on two areas in which people in a small parish are different from those who attend a larger church. These differences cannot be ignored because they are significant and shape our work in education.

1. Numbers. “Small membership churches have to think outside the box in terms of Christian education. The difference in numbers challenges us to be creative. If structured, age-graded classrooms are your only image of Sunday school, it generally won’t work in smaller churches. Drawing on images of the one-room schools or homeschooling offers greater potential for our context.” (p. 28) We must think of new ways to structure Christian education for the participants AND in terms of teachers and leaders. The author discusses education models for the small membership church in the next chapter, so for now let’s consider the next difference that small membership churches share.
2. Everyone is family. Just as one of the qualities of a small membership church is that everyone is like family, this is also a difference in comparison to a larger church. This difference provides the unique and special opportunity for multiple generations to regularly interact together. “Family education is more like an apprenticeship, where one learns through doing and from the guidance of one who knows the way.” (p. 30)

After taking time to study our commonalities and differences, we find the need to group people in ways to best help us provide for their particular educational needs and interests. As stated earlier, these groups are children, youth, and adults. Fully digest and analyze the author’s words below and think about how they apply to the Christian education program already in place in your parish, perhaps sparking ideas on how to grow and improve.

Children

Children are the church of today. “Children aren’t simply Christians-in-training; they are full participants in the Body of Christ now. In the small membership church, we are easily able to include children in the ongoing daily life of the community of faith at every opportunity.” (p. 32-33)

Children are on a developmental journey. “With limited people resources, the small membership church also offers opportunity for children to take on necessary tasks and feel truly needed. When they do these tasks well, they develop a sense of competency that contributes to their overall sense of worth and well-being.” (p. 34)

Children are active learners. “We need to involve all of the senses in our educational activities.” (p. 34)

Youth

Youth are also the church of today. “While youth are indeed growing and maturing in their capacity to think and make wise choices, they still have much to offer out of their own perspective and experience. The small membership church provides just the right setting for youth to see themselves as leaders and capable participants in the church today.” (p. 35)

Youth are looking for more than entertainment. “Teenagers are at the stage in life where they are searching, testing, and looking for something of lasting value and importance. They are open to risking and thinking new ideas and thoughts, trying out new beliefs, but they need guidance…Small churches are indeed the right size to offer youth a place to know and be known, to find mentors and guides who walk with them and work alongside them and give them opportunities to lead.” (p. 35-36)

Numbers are not important. “Any church with at least one young person has a youth ministry already, whether it knows it or not…Be creative, and you will see the multitude of ways even a single youth can learn and grow in the small membership church.” (p. 36)

Adults

“The small membership church has a unique opportunity…In many of our small congregations, the membership is skewed toward older adults. A large percentage of those in the pews are senior citizens. We can dispel the myth that Christian education is only for children and youth by creating vital and dynamic educational opportunities for our adults.” (p. 37)

Further Reflection (p. 38-39)

In what ways has your church dealt with the issue of numbers when planning for Christian education?

What do you think is important to know about the children, youth, and adults in your church?

• Plan one-on-one conversations with your children and youth. What did you discover that you didn't know? What difference can this knowledge make in your educational ministry?

Summary

People are the heart and focus of Christian education in the small membership church. We -children, youth, adults- are all the church of today, even though members of these groups are at different stages of their biological and developmental journey. These differences, along with our commonalities, must be considered when planning Christian education. We celebrate the inter-generational educational opportunities provided by a small church's family-like dynamics, with knowledge that these opportunities likely would not be possible in a large membership church. Small numbers provide promise, not problems!

Up Next...

We'll continue exploring Christian education in the small membership church by learning about the where and when of education, which whenever possible should always be more than traditional Sunday School classes that last one hour each week. We need more than that! And the small membership church is capable of more than that! In the next chapter, the author provides further insight on building a successful Christian education ministry within a small membership church, so the next post in this series will highlight teaching and learning methods that fit the circumstances of a small parish.