Why I Became a Sunday School Teacher

I am a Sunday School teacher. There is a very interesting phenomenon I have noticed when I ask someone “would you like to become a Sunday School teacher?”.  Out of 10 people asked, usually only 1 or 2 will answer, “I do.” In fact, it is not uncommon for all 10 of them to refuse.

What is puzzling is that when I ask those people whether Sunday School is important, they all answer, “YES.”

When asked again why, if they know Sunday School is important, they do not want to become teachers, then most of them will answer: "I don't like children," "I'm not patient," "I'm not gifted to be a teacher", and so on. This made me wonder whether liking children, being patient, being funny, having talent, and so on are qualities that a Sunday School teacher must have. Do these qualities guarantee that someone will be willing to become and remain a Sunday School teacher?

Then I approached people whose daily profession is teaching, thinking that they surely already had all the needed criteria. However, when asked whether they were willing to become Sunday School teachers, their answer was “No.” They reasoned that they already teach children from Monday to Saturday, so on Sunday they do not want to teach again.

Do these qualities guarantee that someone will be willing to become and remain a Sunday School teacher?

I myself was a teacher before eventually becoming a principal and then being entrusted by God to become a full-time minister. I became a Sunday School teacher after about a year of being a disciple of Jesus. If I count it up, I have been a teacher for 15 years! Even now, when I no longer teach in the classroom, I still keep helping in Sunday School. Many ask why I feel so at home doing it. Don't I get tired of teaching children? My answer is always the same: for me, being a teacher is my calling.

These are my reasons for continuing to be a Sunday School teacher:

A privilege

Luke 9:48 says, "Whoever welcomes this child in My name welcomes Me; and whoever welcomes Me welcomes Him who sent Me."

This is my first reason for being a teacher. When I welcome the Sunday School children and teach them about Jesus, it is the same as welcoming Jesus. That makes me very enthusiastic. Imagine how you would feel welcoming Jesus every week. A privilege!

Learning from children

if someone does not repent and become like a little child, he will not enter the kingdom of heaven. And whoever humbles himself and becomes like a little child, he will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

My second reason is that I want to be close to those who enter the kingdom of heaven and become the greatest there. If I want to enter the kingdom of heaven and become the greatest there, then I must learn directly from children. And I can do that when I am with the children in Sunday School.

Teaching them

In Matthew 18: 6-7 it is said that whoever causes one of these little children who believe in Jesus to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were tied around his neck and he were drowned in the sea.

My third reason is that I do not want these little children to go astray. They must know about Jesus and be equipped with a strong foundation from an early age. I feel this is a task I must take up. I want to help them.

With that conviction, I feel that anyone can become a Sunday School teacher. If everyone has the conviction that Jesus sees those children as so precious, and how important it is to make sure they receive the right foundation so that they do not go astray, then everyone who strives to become a teacher will keep trying to learn in order to give their best to the children. They will strive to improve their teaching ability even though it is indeed not easy, and they will not give up.

There was a simple mother with 2 children. When I asked her to become a teacher, she said she was afraid of children and felt insecure because she was an uneducated person. I gave her conviction from the verses above and I said that the most important thing in becoming a Sunday School teacher is the willingness to give your best. This sister is the person who asked me the most questions about what she should do in class and how to make the children interested in learning about Jesus. Her attitude of wanting to learn made her grow tremendously!

Being a Sunday School teacher is not at all about talent or ability. Talent or ability does not guarantee that you will become a teacher. Perhaps a secular teacher in the world. But being a teacher in Sunday School, that is about conviction and calling.

*Church GKDI is currently present in 35 cities. We have Bible Study activities in every region; if you need information or would like to get involved, contact us at contact Church GKDI Official: WhatsApp 0821 2285 8686 or Facebook / Instagram GKDI Official

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