Children's Work

When the new school year began in September, the children's "Sunday school" at church also began after a summer break. Sunday mornings begin at 10 AM with the entire church family worshipping together, sharing testimonies, and prayer. Then, the children are invited to go upstairs for a special teaching time while the Pastor begins his message.



For my children, this is their favorite part of church. and they eagerly wait for the right moment when they can join their friends upstairs in the "children's room." We have 2 rooms upstairs - one room for ages 3-10, and one for the upper grades. Both classes have teachers. There is not yet a class for toddlers, but there is one room downstairs with some toys where the little ones can play while parents listen to the sermon. (these 2 pictures were taken through the glass door, thus the glare on the photos)



This year a new children's director was named and recognized before the church family. She is excited about quality Bible teaching, wants to plan some outreach events, and provide training for the group of children's teachers. Each Sunday the teachers rotate, so that they can take turns staying in the service. Each one is responsible for planning their lesson based on the theme for the year. There are a few children's teaching guide books in Hungarian, but the teachers can write their own lessons, and search through resources for games, songs, and activities to accompany their lessons. They are very talented and creative! I am so glad to have the opportunity to work with them.

I must say, that after having seen how our American churches function with regards to the amount of money spent on their children's programing, I really like the simplicity and the limited resources here in Hungary. Church is very simple. Teaching children is very simple and does not require expensive toys, the finest chairs, modern video equipment, or expensive curriculum. For our curriculum, we use the Bible. I say, we all need to model this simplicity....less really can be more! Children are really easy to please, and teachers are very resourceful. Imagine how much more we could give to Lottie Moon or to humanitarian efforts around the world if our own church budgets were reduced!