Sunday school is often dismissed as unimportant or unnecessary. The common critique is its absence from the Bible. However, those who oppose it are frequently proud and unreceptive to learning.
The above argument appears legitimate, but it is essential to recognize why Sunday School was unnecessary in the New Testament Church. The believers were already consistently gathering to study and seek God’s Word.
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11)
Most Christians today fail to search for or study God’s Word daily. Instead, they rely solely on what their pastor provides on Sunday to sustain them throughout the week.
The importance of Sunday School cannot be overstated. Here are some key points to consider.
1. It is an essential part of the local church and provides a defining opportunity when the church doors are open.
2. It delivers age-appropriate, targeted instruction tailored to an individual’s stage of life.
3. It strengthens the Bible truths that are already being taught in the home.
4. It provides more comprehensive topical and doctrinal teaching than a regular service can deliver.
5. It promotes prior personal study and review of the Bible.
6. It fosters unity through a distinctive fellowship opportunity centered on the study of God’s Word.
7. It opens the door for people beyond the pastoral staff to actively study and teach God’s Word.
8. It provides extra heart preparation for the upcoming service.
Regrettably, attendance at Sunday School is lower than at other Sunday services. Common factors include difficulty of waking early and making church a priority, sincere concerns about children’s safety, welfare, and engagement in their classes, boredom caused by instructors who are ill-prepared or who do not exemplify the lessons they teach, and frustration with teachers who have less experience than the listeners.
Although these excuses may seem legitimate, they do not diminish nor negate the essential truth that believers must study the Bible together within the local church assembly. A believer who isolates himself from the ministries of the local church clearly disobeys and obstructs the unity fostered through church Bible study and embraces a stagnant, unfruitful Christian life.
Be confident in the importance of continuous growth and learning through God’s Word. Prioritize local church Sunday School Bible study, and strengthen your faith by growing together with other believers through the Scriptures.