A New Thing - Family Integrated Sunday School

Being a Southern Baptist, in this modern age of church, means the adults go one way and the kids go another, every Sunday and Wednesday.    I don't know about other denominations, but this is the only one I've been a part of for 23 years, and this is how it's always been.

Being part of the Homeschool Movement, as they call us, has brought about a different way of thinking, not only in the way of education, but also in the way of family and who we farm our kids out to on a daily and weekly basis.

And this brings me to a new way of doing church for my family and several others at our church - Family Integrated Sunday School.

This idea was brought up years ago by some friends of ours who attended our church, but it didn't quite get off the ground.    Well, that family ended up searching the community for Family Integrated congregations, which usually resulted in small gatherings in family homes.   They enjoyed the fellowship, but missed the opportunities offered by the large church, such as choir, AWANAS, and other aspects you get on campus.   So, they came back to the church and offered their idea to the staff once more and were approved to start a class on campus.   Right away they had a great turnout, mostly other homeschooling families, but a few new parents as well.

Well, fast forward to this year and I'm putting my 12 year old in the Youth Group, because that's the next step up in the church world, when you enter 7th grade.     If you've read my posts on Youth Groups, then you know that this turned out to NOT be where we wanted our son.    So, the past few weeks we have gone to the Family class and loved it!

It's totally changed our way of attending church and it's one of the things we look forward to the most!

As we're sitting in class, learning and discussing and reading God's word, I am so thrilled to be sharing this with my 12 year old and other kids anywhere from toddler age to 15-17 years old.    This feels right!  

I'm grateful that our church is open to allowing us to have this class - even though it's not the "norm". 

I'm blessed to be able to share God's word with Collin, not only at home, but in our lessons at church, and know that we're all on the same page.

So, thank you Calvary for not being legalistic and stuffy!  And, thank you LORD, for showing me where my son needed to be - where my family needed to be!

We are blessed!