Courier Readers Share Perspectives on Sunday School

Whatever you call it — Sunday school, life groups, Bible study, or a name unique to your own congregation — the gathering together of people in small groups is central to the process of producing mature and effective disciples of Christ.

“Unfortunately, I never attended Sunday school much growing up,” says Brandon Martin of First Baptist Church of North Myrtle Beach. “I now see the importance of some sort of small group within the church. Sunday school is vital in the spiritual growth of a believer. It is where church discipleship takes place.”

Martin, along with other Courier readers, recently responded to our online request to share with us their thoughts about Sunday school. A significant portion of the 29 readers who responded — 78 percent — said their churches still use the term “Sunday school” to describe their small groups, although there was some overlap with terms like “small groups” (25 percent), “Bible study” (32 percent) and, to a lesser degree, “home groups,” “life groups” and “disciple groups.”

Most respondents — 39 percent — said they are members of small churches; 32 percent represented medium-sized churches and 21 percent were from self-described large churches.

Several readers fondly recalled Sunday school teachers who impacted their lives for the better.

“My life was greatly influenced by my junior high school boys Sunday school teacher,” said Ken Jernigan of Calvary Baptist Church in Neeses. “He only had about a fifth-grade education and was a poor reader, but he loved the Lord and loved us boys and demonstrated that in so many ways.”

“I scarcely remember any lesson from the quarterly from which he taught, but I have long remembered how he made Jesus real to me in his words and deeds. I’m now 63 years old and have been a pastor for 32 years — in large part because of the influence of this godly man.”

Shirley Mahy of Fountain Inn First Baptist Church recalled that her childhood teachers were “loving and kind.” “I remember the lessons they lived and how Jesus was visible in their lives,” she said. Likewise, her present-day Sunday school teacher has created a “cohesive ‘loving family’ in our class that supports each other through life’s crises.”

Robert Ray, of Friendship Baptist Church in Barnwell, said his youth class teacher’s way of teaching and his lifestyle influenced him greatly. “He lived what he taught,” said Ray.

Betty Coats of New Beginning Church in Waterloo, a Sunday school teacher herself, said her childhood teacher served as her mentor. “Starting Sunday morning off in Sunday school makes the day, and it makes me want more of the Bible,” said Coats.

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