When Steve and I moved to North Carolina in 1967, we were embraced by the people who worshiped in the little brown church on the edge of Boone. Forty on Sunday was a crowd, and we were blessed with several children, ages 3 to 14. During Sunday School and worship, the children sat with their parents.
I couldn’t stand it, though they were used to it. I volunteered to teach a class for children in the only classroom. I scrounged through the classroom items I’d hauled from Tennessee to Kansas to North Carolina and found little that would be useful in a church setting. At that point, I’d only taught fifth grade for two years. With few supplies and no way to duplicate anything, I decided that I’d just have to tell the story and let them act it out.
We alternated between Old Testament stories and stories about Jesus. Fortunately, my mother had been a great storyteller of Bible stories, so I both knew them well and knew how to tell them to hold the children’s attention. This was long before video games, iPads, cell phones, etc. They watched television some, but not much. They were mesmerized with my stories.
After I told the story, then they would act it out. The older children would prompt the younger ones and we’d get through it without costumes or props. Sometimes we’d have time for them to try to draw a picture to illustrate the story.
You know the saying, “What goes around comes around.” Well, here’s an illustration of that saying. Our church, the Central Church of Christ, is again meeting in person and having Sunday classes, starting March 7. But now our number has also dwindled, having from 40-60 on Sunday morning. So we’re back to the one-room children’s class!
Sunday I had only four children present, and once everyone is back it should grow to eight or nine. The age range is 5-10. Not as wide a range as fifty+ years ago! It was two pairs of siblings, which is both helpful and not, but it worked out well. The two 10-year-old boys are pals and good students, so they cooperated in every way. One of the younger siblings has cerebral palsy and other disabilities. When she said she needed to go to the restroom, I had to take all four. We even had to traipse through the adult classroom—more awkward than the little Boone church. It’s a situation where an additional teacher would be helpful, but otherwise not needed.
This time I’m delighted with all the well-organized resources at my fingertips—crayons, pencils, scissors, markers, and more. The provided lesson materials have age-appropriate pages to be duplicated. The materials are designed for all ages so each can have their own page or the older ones can work with the younger to get the message.
It is so much fun. As we began by acting out one of our favorite things in nature, I was taken back to North Carolina in 1967 and 1968. I appreciate the parents that bring their children to Sunday class. What joy it is to get children involved in learning God’s Word!
Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6





