This is what you get when you combine the television shows “24″ and “ER” into one program. The result is Danger Hospital!!!
Mixing these two “worlds” results in a pretty ridiculous scenario.
Is the Church doing the same thing every Sunday morning?
Sunday School
When I was a Sunday School teacher, the format was fairly much the same from when I was a child. From the flannelgraph to the craft, it has pretty much been the same for the past forty plus years. Meanwhile, the world has accelerated far beyond them. The same kids that were raised on flannelgraphs and puppet shows, now carry around PSP’s, watch YouTube and may even sport a smartphone and their kids have all these gadgets, too.
Where is the Church?
Where is the Church? Still using flannelgraph and passing out word searches. This is as ridiculous as Danger Hospital. You have YouTubeing kids attending Sunday School classes that are tailored for kids half a century ago.
Don’t get me wrong. I believe the flannelgraph has its place. There are some parts of the developing world where kids will sit and watch flannelgraphs and puppet shows like an American kid at a movie theater with a bucket of butter popcorn in his lap.
The answer is really about meeting people where they are at.
It’s not about being cool. It’s not about the technology itself, but it’s about how we are reaching out. It’s not about having to have the latest and greatest in our Sunday School rooms, it’s about effectively communicating to a Facebook, YouTube generation. Does that mean we have to have Sunday School on Facebook and show YouTube videos? No.
Measure & Evaluate
We need to evaluate and measure. Are we reaching our kids? Are we changing the generation behind us in a positive way?
We don’t need to get Jesus on an iPhone, we need to get Jesus in peoples hearts. The Gospel is ageless, but our methods can be dated.
If you have a flannelgraph, don’t throw it out and don’t pack away your puppets. You need to take an honest look and ask yourself,
“Am I reaching these kids?”
If you’re not, you need to change your method. It’s not working anymore.
If you are effectively communicating the Gospel of Jesus Christ, awesome! Keep doing it!
Is your church’s Sunday School effectively communicating?
If they are, how are they doing it?
[Image via Abhisek Sarda]
This is going to be a GREAT conversation starter with my friends in Christian Education. Love the balanced approach in the post.
That’s great to hear!
Great food for thought, Eric. I’m not involved in the youth ministry at church, but I totally get where you’re going. We need to make sure our methods are relevant. I don’t think anyone would deny that our content is relevant, but it is important to make sure what we’re doing to communicate that content is relevant to the kids.
Exactly, Raoul, thanks for being a part of the ChurchMag community!
I used to make fun of flannelgraphs. But then my wife did a lesson in her SS class (pre-school/Kindergarten) with it and the kids were AMAZED.
They had never SEEN flannel graph – so it was new to them. And they loved it.
It has caused me to be careful assuming things that used to work can’t still work. I’m sometimes guilty of throwing out the baby with the bathwater.
Not saying we should go all flannel graph all the time…just a reminder that sometimes even old things are “new” to those who haven’t experienced them.
We have to be careful that our “new stuff” isn’t becoming old and boring because its like everything else they do too.
I COMPLETELY agree with you on that. I love retro. Unfortunately, some things have been used SO long, it’s made it full swing — LOL!
You should checkout the GraceLink app — digital ipad flannelgraphs. I’ve been using them with my Awana Cubbies class. Like a live cartoon that you control.
That sounds EPIC!!!!