tian Doctrine. Scholars were graduated as they mastered the textbooks on the senior level. 6) It had a library o f many volumes — hundreds, in fact. It also listed and circulated current periodicals and new books. 7) It engaged in a great deal o f singing with choirs and musi cal groups. 8) It had all-day sessions — a religious service in the morning and an appropriate address after the hour of instruction in the afternoon. 9) It met generally in upstairs rooms, fitted and kept exclusively for Sunday school. Such was the Sunday school of the 1800’s. What has been hap pening since then ? What changes have occurred, good or bad? First of all, Sunday school to day is for everyone — infants and adults, not only children. 2) The material and curriculum cannot be compared with what was used 50 years ago. 3) The student manual or workbook gets pupils involved with the Word o f God and the Christian life. 4) There are classes for every one who can attend, and classes for those who cannot come to Sun day school. Other features of the Sunday school of today could be men tioned, but who can venture to say or think what can or will be done in the next decade? Be sure o f this: the Sunday school no doubt will be altered in the 70’s (what won’t?) but as far as I am concerned, the true mission of the Sunday school in the church will remain constant and I be lieve true to the end o f time. Therefore — stop saying the Sun day school is dead. Say it is alive! Say it will live on and on and in fluence scores of people in the next decade as it has in its past hundred and fifty years and do your part to make it so! Rev. C. Chester Larson is area repre sentative for Scripture Press Publica tions. He is featured each Saturday morning on KBBI, 107.5 fm in -L.A. B b |
Christian CUorkers'Clinic
by Chester Larson
Questions So many today say that the Sunday school is dead. What place do you see the Sunday school hav ing in the decade o f the 70’s? Answers I cannot agree with anyone who says the “ Sunday school is dead.” If I were to relate my own per sonal experience in/with Sunday school I must admit I’ve sat through both good and not-so- good classes. I’ve enjoyed work ing, or have been bored with Sun day school experiences. However, I must further acknowledge that in spite o f everything, the Sun day school has been a very im portant factor in my life . . . spiritually, morally, socially, and physically. I am concerned that the Sunday school will remain a part o f the educational program o f the church and will continue to develop through the 70’s. A fascinating item in A His tory of Religious Education in Recent Times, published in 1923, gives a typical picture o f the Sun-
dayschool in 1871 — or a Sunday school of 100 years ago. Here are some o f the features, according to the article: 1) It was governed by a Sun day school society, composed of its officers and teachers, with the pastor as President ex-officio. 2) It had monthly meetings for business and teachers’ prayer meetings for devotional purposes. It conducted public anniversary services in which children sang and participated in other ways. 3) It was organized into classes and had its superintendents, sec retary and librarian. Each class had two instructors — a teacher and an assistant. The assistant was quite a youth, generally, and also a candidate for an office in the school. 4) It had a class called “MONI TOR CLASS,” composed o f sen ior scholars from whom assistant teachers were selected. 5) It had a series o f catecheti cal textbooks, beginning with “Milk for Babes” and ending with an advanced work on Chris
JUNE, 1969
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