Sunday School Treasure

I don’t see it very often, this little treasure of mine. I keep it in an old jewelry box with so many large pairs of earrings from the 90s and lots of gaudy Christmas jewelry I must have worn in the past. The treasure is from the 60s and early 70s – a pin from Sunday School at Calvin Church. It has four pieces, designating my attendance for four years. (Did I lose a few pieces? I was there for more than four years!) The first piece has a cross, a crown, and the words “Christian Reformed.” I thought it was pretty neat, though I think it was my less responsible brother who wore it more often, maybe because it was pinned to the lapel of his sport coat, which he wore every Sunday.

Seeing this pin once in a while gets me thinking about Sunday School at Calvin CRC back then. In my memory we kids headed downstairs after morning worship and filled the assembly room, sitting on wooden folding chairs. We sang songs while folding ourselves up in those chairs, and then we split into smaller grade-level groups for our lessons. When I was in fourth grade I had to have my dad as a teacher. We had so many classes of kids that our group met on the platform in front of the sanctuary, near the pulpit. I don’t remember the lessons, but I’m sure they were formative.

Now I chair the Education Committee at our church. My committee members care deeply for the fewer children who attend our programs and classes now. I am so grateful to the committee for spending time thinking about and working on how to meet, greet, teach, worship with, and celebrate the love of God with these dear kids. We have dedicated teachers who use their time on Sundays (and Wednesday nights) to share the good news and build relationships. The numbers of kids, worship styles, and teaching methods have changed over the years. We no longer give out pins for attendance, and that’s good (I wonder if any new kids ever felt left out because they didn’t have the pin!). But, we pray that all of our efforts; every lesson; every story; every song; every reflection on the Sunday sermon; every craft; every special activity; every look, nod, glance, smile, and affirmation will be effective in helping lead kids to know God and follow their Savior.

Written by church member Suzi Steketee