What is Sunday School?
Sunday school is an opportunity to study God’s word in a group setting. Our sunday school department provides a series of classes for every age group each Sunday morning at the church, from 9:30 am to 10:30 am.
- Youth – under 6
- Young Adult – 16 to 30
- Adults
Our Curriculum
Our curriculum is the Church of God in Christ’s “Power For Living” lesson series published quarterly.
History
Sunday schools were originally schools designed to teach poor children how to read. They were started in England in the 1780s by Christian philanthropists who wanted to free poor children, many of whom were already working in factories – from a life of illiteracy.
In 19th century England working hours were long for adults and children. Saturday was considered part of the regular work week leaving Sunday as the only time children could go to school.
The English Anglican evangelical Robert Raikes (1725-1811) was the key promoter of the movement and it soon spread to America. By the mid-19th century, Sunday school attendance was a near universal aspect of childhood. Even parents who did not regularly attend church themselves generally insisted that their children go to Sunday school.
Religious education was always a core component of Sunday School as the Bible was the textbook used for learning to read and many children learned to write by copying out passages from the Scriptures. Spiritual practices such as prayer, hymn-singing, and teaching Christian morality and virtues was another goal of Sunday School.
After compulsory state education was established by 1870s in both England and America, Sunday School curriculum was limited to religious education. Fortunately by this time many parents believed that regular Sunday school attendance was an essential component of raising children properly. This opinion continued until the 1960’s when under the influence of permissive parenting, parents stopped requiring their children to attend Sunday School especially when they themselves stopped going.
SOURCE: http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/2008/august/when-did-sunday-schools-start.html