Sunday School Crisis

The UK Christadelphian Sunday School Union recently produced a dire report on the rapid decline of UK Sunday Schools: “We are increasingly hearing of ecclesias which used to have active Sunday Schools but which do so no longer, of ageing congregations and dwindling ecclesias”.

In the last 100 years Sunday School attendances have dropped from 55% to below 4%. This, alas is the sad state of increasingly godless, decadent and materialistic Britain – but this is not the situation in the Mission areas where Sunday Schools are increasing at an alarming rate. However, hundreds of these children do not have the School materials available or a Bible of their own – a situation which needs rectifying. This is no criticism of the excellent Sunday School organizations available who do a tremendous job in working with some of the Mission Area Sunday Schools. The materials available have never been higher and the quality and appealing artwork unsurpassed in Christadelphian History. I really mean that, they need congratulating on their superb material and magazines. But somehow it needs to reach hundreds more of Christadelphian Children.

My view is that we also need to concentrate more on inter-Ecclesial young people’s activities and youth camps for the older ones. Even when we have got good Sunday Schools and Youth activities there are, alas, far too many young people marrying out of the Truth. It is only natural of course that they will want partners, but what better places for them to meet in young peoples Bible camps. Whilst on this theme of suggestions could we not go one further and run a serious correspondence course designed to enable them to get a GCE or equivalent qualification in Religious Studies – this would not only increase their scriptural knowledge, but help them get a job. That’s a suggestion I feel would have considerable long lasting benefits to the community. We have discussed this with the Examination Board and it could be done. Who is willing to get such a scheme off the ground? MH

SAVE THE CHILDREN! YOU CAN GIVE THEM THE HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE

The photo below is from Kenya and the one above from the Philippines, What a privilege to help them to become children of God.