Visionary Training Advocates

Visionary Training Advocates

A pastor in Eastern China told us that last year they were invited by a church in another province to organize a summer camp for more than 600 children, many of whom began attending the church after the camp. The need for children Sunday school arose but no one in the church knew how to do it! As a result, the pastor was asked to provide a 10-day training to train up Sunday school teachers for them. The first two days of training was for church leaders, followed by eight days of training for Sunday school teachers. The pastor knew very well that the Sunday school ministry would be stagnant even if there were teachers available if the church leaders had no vision for it.

       The training of church workers, including Sunday school teachers, Bible teachers, Bible study group leaders or volunteer workers is an important ministry in the mainland. Training classes and centres have been organized in various areas by various churches. Of course, it is important to train up Sunday school teachers, but key to the ministry is the church leaders behind. The wife of another pastor in Eastern China told us that churches used to think that children Sunday school could be handled by a few sisters. Yet she and her husband saw that children today was the hope of the next generation of churches in China. They went all over the province to promote children Sunday school in various churches, trying to change leaders' conceptions, encourage and help them build up the ministry. This resulted in a sea change in attitudes and the setting up of systematic ministries.

Note from the Editor:
      Any kind of training needs the support of people with vision. Church leaders can help change co-workers' and believers' ideas. May the Lord work among church leaders and let them be moved by His vision so they are willing to foster co-operation between co-workers and believers. Also, may God open the eyes of more church leaders so they can see the importance of Sunday school and become advocates for Sunday school teacher training.

Resource: http://www.ccfellow.org/Common/Reader/News/ShowNews.jsp?Nid=5967&Pid=22&Version=39&Cid=226&Charset=big5_hkscs