Home-grown Faith

Rebellious Pastor's Wife is standing on her favorite soapbox again. I add my hearty amen.

Last Sunday, I was teaching my preschool Sunday school class and realizing again how precious few little minutes of real, focused attention I have from them during our class time. And, I have no real means of knowing how much of the lesson they really take home with them. Most of them don't remember last week's Bible story the following week. I cannot repeat things as often as they need to be repeated. I cannot tailor each lesson to meet each child where he is. A Montessori approach like Catechesis of the Good Shepherd would do rather better in those areas, but even so, the truth is, I simply cannot accomplish in an hour a week what a parent can accomplish at home by simply taking a few minutes here and there each day to talk with their children about Christ, answer their questions, tell them stories, pray with them, sing with them, teach them the catechism, lead by example, point out life's lessons as they arise, and follow the child's interest. A thousand and one teachable moments arise during a child's week; as a Sunday school teacher, I get about two or three of them. Sunday school is an excellent supplement, but a poor substitute, for parent-led discipleschip.