Sunday school on the move

Lutheran, The, Oct 2001 by Favre, Jeff

In this Minnesota congregation, students rotate through workshops

It took one question to set things in motion at St. James Lutheran Church: "What have we got to lose?" That's what Sheryl Bousu, director of Christian education for the Burnsville, Minn., congregation, said about beginning a new kind of Sunday school.

Less than four months later, GAPP (Grace and Promise People), based on the workshop and rotation model, began. Almost immediately Sunday school attendance increased by 15 percent, and participation in the after-- church program by junior- and senior-- high school students more than doubled. And adults started volunteering in record numbers.

At first glance, GAPP may seem complex. But at St. James they found the program easy to create-and loads more fun. GAPP engages youth through all their senses to increase the likelihood they will learn and retain what they have received.

An overhaul

Last summer, the church was overhauled. Members painted more than a dozen murals. The youth room was turned into a cinema. They built a computer lab.

And they adopted new curriculum. Instead of trying to go through a Bible story every week in a cursory way that few youth ever committed to memory, Bousu asked the pastors which stories they felt were the most important.

The Prodigal Son and Good Samaritan were chosen to begin the program.

Michelle Cox, the children's Christian education chairperson, explained a typical rotation. Each age group is sent to a different room each week where a "facilitator" teaches the lesson. Facilitators volunteer for a four- to six-week rotation and remain in the same area the entire time.

"For the Good Samaritan you would go to the movie theater, where you would see a movie about a modern-day example of a good Samaritan," Cox said. "Then you would discuss the film, followed by writing in your journal about what you learned, and memorizing a Bible passage.

"Next you would go to the Daily Bread Cafe (kitchen) where you would make friendship cake. The facilitator tells the Good Samaritan story again, followed by more journaling and a Bible passage. The kids took home the cake and shared it, along with the story, with a friend or family member."

The next week the youth in that group visited the computer lab for a game based on the Good Samaritan. The week after that, the Games by St. James room became a triage center where students re-created the story using bandages and other medical aids.

There are also areas for drama, art and other hands-on workshops. Each area includes journaling, memorizing and retelling of the chosen story.

"Shepherds," once known as Sunday school teachers, agree to a yearlong commitment, but their duties require no pre-class planning. Instead, they serve as a constant presence for that age group. They're responsible for the journals, taking attendance and discipline issues.

A don't-miss program

Bousu expected that after the novelty wore off, attendance might decrease, but it hasn't.

"Now kids bug their parents about not skipping church because they don't want to miss a particular workshop," she said. "And they are really learning and remembering the stories."