I helped institute a 'family sunday school' program at our 350 member church in the early 70s. It was instrumental in helping to include our kids into the mainstream of church life. It was also quite helpful in making parents deuteronomy 6ers ... deut.6.6-9 'Write these commandments that I've given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder; inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates.' Our goal was to help ensure that the primary source for christian education was the parents and the family unit, as proposed in deut 6. It was a noble start.

Churches should minister to all ages but be led by the Holy Spirit not conventional or secular thinking. They should be asking 'What does God want us to do?' then wait for the correct answer, testing all the spirits so they do not get led astray, then implementing that so GOD gets the glory not the church or the pastor or the man with the idea. The unchurched people need to see GOD, JESUS and they need to see their followers follow their teachings correctly. They do not need to see the church acting like a secular corporation or business.

I believe that Scottie May, hit the issue on the nose. Being a former Youth Pastor and having a degree in Theology, I have long felt that the American church's ecclesiology has long been affected by the culture. I also believe that for the individual Christian, their doctrine is nothing more than an extension of their ecclesiological upbringing (either born into a Christian family or by the church that said Christian was first introduced). If the sole objection to the idea of changing the Sunday School paradigm is that tradition has dictated for the past fifty years that children/adolescents and adults should be separated for their own edification, I believe we miss a grand opportunity. How can the young make a healthy transition into the "adult" church if they have no experience of "adult" ministries? How can the upcoming generation of adult Christians have the maturity to outlast collegiate or life influences? There should be a greater blending of the two groups, period.

I agree wholeheartedly. May I add that the problem isn't merely with the 15-20 age group? I see that many of the younger kids (age 3 upwards) have absolutely no understanding of how to behave around adults. They only spend time with their parents or with kids their age and if they aren't kept completely entertained before a TV, they come apart at the seams. Many of them do not know to greet or acknowledge adults, they don't know the basic courtesies such as requesting permission before taking something that is not theirs to take, saying thank you, addressing adults politely, not speaking when adults are speaking, sitting quietly even if bored etc. Kids are taught these days that they have the divine right to be kept constantly entertained. This problem is particularly severe in US and Europe.

All age sunday schools could have a place for a more informal learning time. But it is really just informal church. Why not call it what it is? Often the parents get and learn more from the childrens talk portion of a service than the sermon. Why? because they are clear, concise lessons with easily understandable life application?