In spite of the view by many today that Sunday School is an ancient fossil of the past that deserves to be buried and forgotten, Sunday School still remains as one of the best, most age-appropriate means by which to reach people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The ministry of Sunday School towers as a beacon of tremendous opportunity for the church to communicate God’s Word to people today. Sunday School cannot be seen as an option or as a weekly routine of simply "going through the motions." It must be seen and grasped as a tool within the hands of each CHC for the manifestation of "the power of God unto salvation." Therefore, the promotional theme for Sunday School by the General Christian Education Department for the next two years is "SUNDAY SCHOOL: NOW MORE THAN EVER."

Why do we need "SUNDAY SCHOOL NOW MORE THAN EVER?" The ministry of Sunday School is one way to fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ. Before going to heaven Jesus said, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. . ." (Matthew 28:19-20a). Thousands upon thousands have been reached, won to Christ, discipled, and then sent forth because of the ministry of Sunday School. The famous evangelist D.L.Moody was won to Christ as a young man in the back of a shoe store by his Sunday School teacher. Moody later won thousands and thousands to the Lord Jesus Christ. The fields today are indeed "white unto harvest," and millions are waiting. Will we help them to hear?

We need SUNDAY SCHOOL NOW MORE THAN EVER because it is the best age-appropriate, easily structured means to teach children, youth, and adults. Properly organized Sunday Schools, with dedicated and excited teachers using age-appropriate methods within an adequate block of time, can accomplish the major goals of Christian education. What are some of these goals? The book Sunday School states these objectives are "a personal and experiential knowledge of God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit; a practical Christian life; a knowledge, obedience, and use of the Word of God; a knowledge, appreciation, and interpretation of our Christian heritage; a loyalty and sense of responsibility toward the Church; a sense of Christian responsibility for the community; and a knowledge of and a sense of Christian responsibility toward the world" (ETA). Can the Sunday School do all of this? Yes! Yes!

There are many other reasons why we need SUNDAY SCHOOL NOW MORE THAN EVER. It is needed because it provides a vehicle for the Church to reach directly and regularly into the community. A church CANNOT grow without some type of visitation program. Sunday School visitation can result in leading people to Christ and to the Church. We need SUNDAY SCHOOL NOW MORE THAN EVER because it serves as an active place of ministry. Sunday School is an opportunity for Christians to exercise their ministry/service gifts and callings. People are needed to teach, to do clerical work, to administrate, to plan, and to lead the Sunday School. People are needed to serve as custodians. People are needed to serve as greeters, as drivers who will pick up people weekly and bring them to the house of God. People are needed as "telephoners" to contact and encourage. There are those who wonderfully minister week after week as helpers, and who will do anything needed. Many people have been called into full time ministry while serving in the Sunday School. We need SUNDAY SCHOOL NOW MORE THAN EVER because it is a time of fellowship and encouragement. It gives a sense of belonging and security.