A member of the church of which I was pastor in Hamilton, NY taught high school English. He told me that he once asked his class if the short story they had just read reminded them of another famous story with a similar theme. All he got in response were blank looks. He asked them if the story reminded them of the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The same blank looks. He asked how many of them had heard of the story of the Prodigal Son. Not a single one had.
Today’s children have many advantages. They go to wonderful schools. They have all kinds of opportunities in sports and the arts. Indeed, they have so many opportunities that they are sometimes in danger of being over scheduled. But the important question is: Do they know God, the One who created them and loves them? How can they know God except from their parents and from their churches?
We are going to begin our new Sunday School year on September 16. We are going to make an extra special effort to let our children and their parents know how important they are to us, and how much we want to help them to know God. We are going to offer transportation and everything else we can to help them come to Sunday School.
Our slogan this year is “Sixteen on the Sixteenth.” That’s how many children and youth we hope to have in Sunday School that day.
Many thanks to our teachers. Loretta Hirschman and Marge Spencer will be teaching the younger children. Carol Love will be teaching the Middlers. I will be teaching the teens. Carol Wilkins will be helping with the Middlers and the teens.
Be sure and encourage the children and youth you know to come and find out what this “God business” is about.
©2001 C. David Hess