Distinctives that Make a Difference: The Home Link
by Dr. Curry

Kids belong in Sunday school and in homes. So it may not be a stretch for us to think home and Sunday school go together. There are better reasons for this connection. The Bible clearly makes parents responsible to teach their children (Deuteronomy 6:4­–9; 11:19–21) but also calls for the church to play a role (Deuteronomy 31:9–13). When Paul instructs children in Ephesians 6:1–4, he tells them to obey their parents and tells fathers to bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.The Bible requires home and church to work in partnership in nurturing children.

GCP takes the connection between home and Sunday school seriously. For younger levels, Preschool to Primary, for example, the At Home paper summarizes the lesson, including the Bible story. At Home encourages parents to reinforce what was taught. GCP even makes music available for parents to use. Parents may use the materials provided as a part of regular family worship and strengthen the tie between home and church.

GCP enables parents to do more than ask the Sunday dinner question, “What did you learn in Sunday school?” In many homes the kids could give any answer. Not with GCP material—the father will have a clear statement of what his children studied at church.

Parents who know what their children learn in Sunday school are better equiped to assist the children in living what they have learned at church. Repeated exposure to biblical material makes it more likely to stick. If one uses the At Home section throughout the week, the children don’t have seven days to forget what they were taught at church. Rather, they have seven days to review and solidify what they learned.

The relationship between Sunday school and home is not a one-way street. GCP encourages the teacher to make connections with the family. If parent and teacher communicate, the child benefits. The important connection between home and Sunday school reflects the biblical view of a partnership in teaching children. In addition, such a partnership makes the Sunday school a more effective instrument in the lives of children.

• Dr. Curry is Professor of Christian Education at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, MS. He holds a B.A. from Geneva College, M.Div. from Westminster Theological Seminary/Philadelphia and Ed.M and Ed.D from Temple University. Dr. Curry previously served as Pastor of Immanuel Orthodox Presbyterian Church in West Collingswood, NJ and Director of Educational Services/Coordinator of Production at Great Commission Publications. He is the author of The God We Love and Serve (GCP) as well as numerous articles and curriculum materials.