Sunday school in the time of covid-19
It’s difficult to know how to
keep Sunday School active when our church building is closed to all activities
and events. Nevertheless, I’m committed to keeping in touch with all our
children and young people. To do that I send an e-mail to them via their
parents in the middle of each week to try to encourage them and assure them
that whatever they are feeling (e.g. scared, frustrated, worried) are feelings
that are normal and shared by adults as well as children and young people. At
the end of the week, I send an “at-home” Sunday School activity. I avoid
worksheet type activities for two reasons: 1) they may already be getting such
activities from some of their teachers as they do school work at home, and 2) I
want these activities to be things they can do without too much assistance from
their parents who are already trying to keep them up-to-date with school work
and may be trying to work from home as well. For example, I sent them paper
palms during the week prior to Palm Sunday so that they could wave palms as
they watched Pastor Matt’s service on FaceBook.
During the week after Easter,
the activity was based on the scripture for April 19, John 20:19-31. In this
reading, Jesus appears to his disciples for the first time after rising on
Easter morning and says, “Peace be with you” three times. Since our children
enjoy passing the peace on Sunday mornings and since shaking hands may not be
an option when we return to worship in church, I sent them a YouTube link
teaching them how to say, “Peace be with you” and then “And also with you” in
sign language. I asked them to practice so that we can teach the congregation
when we return to worship. Sometimes the activities are based on scripture and
sometimes they are just for fun, such as an “in your house scavenger
hunt.” Whatever I send, I want the
children to know that I think about them, care about them, and pray for them,
and that we will eventually be back together.
Mary Jane Brown
Sunday School Teacher