A few weeks ago, I stood in line with two women. One woman asked me about the purchases I was about to make. OK, I might have attracted her attention with a carriage full of art supplies, paper, snacks and assorted other items. Anyway, my reply, “It’s for Sunday School”, brought about an interesting conversation.

The first woman wanted to know all about it. It turns out that she never attended church as a child. We talked about the singing we do, community service projects, games and bible stories. I told her the focus was on love loving ourselves and others. She looked at me and said, with tears in her eyes, that she wished she could have gone to Sunday School as a child. As I turned to be waited on, the other woman stated quite clearly, “That’s the trouble with the world today, it’s always about having fun. When I went to Sunday School, we had to sit still and listen and learn. There’s not enough of that today.” What struck me the most was how unhappy she sounded about her childhood church experiences.

Why shouldn’t children learn in an environment that is fun? This month we learned about helping others through our Habitat for Humanity project. We learned about the Habitat program, we helped decorate for the dinner by painting pumpkins, and some families helped raise funds by attending the dinner. The children developed their concern for others, used their creativity, and enjoyed fellowship with the church community. What better way to learn? The ice cream didn’t hurt, either!

I know how hard it is to get everyone up on a Sunday morning. If children enjoy church and find it a welcoming place, they will want to come to Sunday School. I hope these children will look back at their time at St. Paul’s as one during which they felt loved and accepted, developed an understanding of God’s Word, and yes, they had fun. So, we will continue to make cards for people who are ill, sing on special occasions, help those around us, and continue to learn about God’s love.

It’s never too late to register. Registration forms are available in the Parish Hall on Sunday mornings. Friends are always welcome.