A Heartfelt Thanks to Our Sunday School Teachers

from Janet Gilliam, Director of Children's Ministries

Bible JeopardyEarlier this year, the Church of the Good Shepherd lost a great lady--Susan Stoker. Susan had been a parishioner at Good Shepherd for some 96 years, and her parents were here long before that. Most importantly, she was a warm, loving woman of deep and authentic faith. She was an inspiration, and I am still grieving her loss. She never had children of her own, yet she seemed genuinely charmed by little folks. I caught her many times grinning as she poured over bulletin boards of photographs featuring our children. She occasionally made financial contributions to Children's Ministries.

On no less than four occasions, she told me exactly the same story. "Janet, when I was a little girl, mama and daddy made me go to Sunday school ever single Sunday and ..." Okay, this is the part where your mind races ahead and you think she's going to say, "And that is what made me the woman of great faith that you see before you today." But instead, she says, "And I hated it, because it was BORING!" I was always shocked each time she said it, but then she would add, "But the children at this church are always running off to class laughing and playing. They seem to have so much fun, and I wish I could be a little child in Sunday school again too."

This, of course, was a compliment, but I'd like to explain why she was right. Our Sunday school teachers are the reason Susan Stoker was right. I can come up with support ideas, but the magic recipe for Sunday school is commitment, dedication, creativity, love of children, and a personal experience of Jesus Christ. There are not a lot of people that you can say all that about. In our classrooms I have seen prayer trees and candles, grape vines with children's faces and thumb print pictures, valentines and Christmas cards for shut ins and our soup kitchen guests. I have seen older parishioners share their faith with younger folk. I have seen kids and adults mesmerized in our Grapes and Grains class. I know where the world's best chocolate brownies are made. I have seen killer jeopardy games, and you have not seen hysterically cute until you have seen an enitre class of kindergarteners in turkey head dress in preparation for Thanksgiving! Our Sunday school teachers are magicians who can make all of that and more happen! When you see them, please thank the 2008-2009 Sunday school teaching staff at the Church of the Good Shepherd.