A Shift in Christian Education?
January 25, 2015 | Patrick Preheim

Welcome and Introduction:  Welcome to Nutana Park Mennonite Church this morning.  Our worship today deviates from our typical liturgy, but it is with the encouragement of our Church Council, the Deacon Board, that we have charted this course.  We will start on familiar turf though.  Marlene has a few community life announcements to highlight.  Marlene...

Matthew’s Gospel ends with these words, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt 28.19-20).   This morning we are taking very seriously the command of Jesus to be a teaching people.  Our worship today will be one of discerning and praying together in smaller groups.  Youngsters, teenagers, those in their middle years, elders, those curious about faith and visitors are all encouraged to the conversation.  Every voice is welcome and important to hear as we listen for God’s leading as we consider the making of disciples, baptizing and teaching in this new age.  One of our elder statesmen in the congregation described our format as a remedy for disaster.  He is probably right in his assessment.  Disaster or no, however, this is a critical topic in the life of our congregation, our families, and our young people.  It is critical enough that we have decided we can no longer do business as usual—come what may.

As the background notes suggests, which I encourage you to read now or once you are at your table groups, the education format used by Nutana Park Mennonite in past years is facing challenges.  We may be nearing a moment when we are invited to bring out new wine skins for the precious gift of the Spirit because the old wine skins are beginning to crack (Matt 9.16-17).    The Deacon Board has talked about these concerns over the last months, but the issues go well beyond our Deacon Board.   Education is the work of the church, and we are the church.  In congregational life at NPMC we do not often have time where we sit together discerning significant issues for the church.  Given the biblical imperative of Jesus for us to be a teaching people and given that our education program is struggling we are structuring time to listen.   Jesus has commanded us to share the story and he also promised to be with us in this enterprise, so we enter into the conversation confident Jesus is there alongside us.

A few words of instruction

• After our gathering hymn and prayer we will be dismissed by sections to find table groups.  The more variety across generations, families and friendship circles the better.  Deacon Board members will help people find places.  They are designated with name tags.
• Children will be given activity bags and should be given preference for tables near the nursery or play room.
• Specific tables have been designated for those who struggle with hearing.  Let one of the Deacon Board ushers know your needs and they will take care of you.
• The questions for discussion and response appear in the bulletin. Designate someone at your table to facilitate table conversation, keep time and take a notes.
• To grease the wheels of conversation coffee is available from a perks in the foyer and kitchen with a snack on your tables. 
• Baskets on your tables are there to receive the offering of your discussion as well as any financial contributions you wish to make for the work of the church near and far away.
• Conclude your time in the table groups with prayer.  Offer the joys, concerns, and hopes of those at your table up to God.
• There is a copy of HWB at each table.  We have suggested a sending prayer, but feel free to conclude your time as you see fit.  After the sending, worship for you and your table group is finished.

Now take your Hymnal Worship Books and rise with me to sing a hymn which invites God’s presence, wisdom, and courage to be among us.  #366 “God of Grace and God of Glory”.  Remain standing for our opening prayer.

Invocation:  HWB #725

Background for this discussion:
Our congregation has a strong history of commitment to Christian education. In the fifty years of our history, we have always had Sunday School classes for all ages, weeknight clubs for children, and usually formal youth programs. After some lean years, we once again have a sizable group of toddlers and young children.

However we live in new and different times.  There are more community options for sports, arts, and music activities that our children participate in.  Activities occur on weeknights and on Sundays, including Sunday mornings. There are many new demands on parents to support their children’s programs as volunteers.  Our past structures and ways of supporting them are no longer serving our needs.

This has affected all our children’s programming.  Three years ago we moved children’s Sunday School to the worship hour, reducing the time from 1 hour to 30 minutes and eliminating children’s singing.  Parents strongly support this change.  However attendance continues to be very sporadic.  The age of Sunday School classes has been reduced from age 3 to grade 12 to age 3 to grade six.  Even now, some of the older children ask to be excused from attendance.

In the past year, we have had two new teacher volunteers.  We rely heavily on teachers who have been teaching for years and are burning out.  We have trouble replacing program leaders.

Most of the young adults who attend the Thursday evening discussion group are not those who grew up in our congregation.  What does this mean?

We see parents of toddlers who spend time caring for their children while they visit with each other during the worship service, rather than placing their children into the supervised daycare room.  How are we supporting young families in the challenge of raising their children?

Those of us who are involved in program planning in Christian Education have concerns.  We are looking to the entire congregation to help us reflect on Christian faith and how it grows.  As we reflect together on our joint experience, we expect to receive new insights that will help us plan more effectively for the future.