Ministries of Life Bible-Presbyterian Church

 

SUNDAY SCHOOL JUNIOR DEPARTMENT

 

It is Sunday 9.35am at Life BPC. There are many things we could all do but why the focus on Sunday School for Primary 3-6 children?

Sunday School is a place where the children and church can be transformed.

• In growing leaders for the church’s mission. Seeds of impression are sown.  
• By increasing people’s sense of belonging and commitment to stewardship. Kids are challenged early, finding their roots as the Lord Jesus' children and their commitment to their Lord.  
• By providing a place for new people to make friends and to learn to grow as disciples, making long, lasting friendship with peers of similar faith, “ iron sharpeneth iron.”  
• Deepens people’s understanding of God’s activity in all ways of life. Sharing of experiences between teachers and children. 

From the lives of Session members and active church members', it is evident how regular Sunday school attendance in their early years and teens have aid their spiritual growth.  Thereafter, as young working adults and parents in their twenties and thirties, peer support and friendship in the fellowship groups also played a pivotal role in their walk with the Lord.  

Today's Junior Department has 8 classes and 18 teachers with a common challenge: Every child passing through our Sunday School must hear Gospel! Gospel! Gospel! This year, we will complete Accent Materials and move on to the Bob Jones University Materials by June. In between, the children are taught the Westminster Larger Catechism and we are not ambitious, just 50 per year per class. In addition, how else could we better educate children to sing early but through people called to do just that! Since 2010, every second Sunday is Open Sunday where brethren from the Music Ministry, helmed by Daniel and Hui Chuien, teach children of the Junior Department hymns complete with background stories of hymn writers. Through this, the children are exposed to meaningful importance of singing hymns as a means of praising God. At the end of their 4 years with Junior Department, perhaps they will know more than you.

Junior Department provides an all-rounded, not too heavy (study less, learn more) curriculum and programme to help our Primary 3-6 children know Jesus in their own pace.

Come send your children to Sunday School!  

Junior Department Superintendent
Timothy Soh Eng Teck

Class	Teachers	Location
P3A Mixed	Lit Miah, Mui Lee	Korean Office
P3B Mixed	Karen, Eileen	Conference Room Hall
P4 boys	Choy Wai, Helen	Conference Room 3
P4 girls	Evelyn, Colin, Deborah	Conference Room 1
P5 boys	Sheryl, Deborah	Ex- MF Room
P5 girls	Irene, Yvonne, Constance	Chinese Service Hall Cry Room
P6A (Mixed)	Elsie & Tok Ling	FEBC Library
P6B (Mixed)	Susan Yee & Eris Yap	Conference Room

Teachers say:
I have found real pleasure in teaching children in Sunday School. The reason why I want to meet and interact with the children is because when I was a child, I had great and inspirational Sunday school teachers, who taught us and even took care of us when our parents went on holiday. Even now, I still meet them and their families are part of my life. Through their example in life and through their testimony, I turned to Christ and was given the gift of assurance that Jesus died to take away all my “badness” and that I can live a full, guilt-free, happy life in Him.

Due to my work schedule, I was previously able to teach children from different classes, so I got to know a lot of kids. The best thing about that is that I get to know more of you. But this year, Ming Yann and I have been given a wonderful class: children whose parents are not from this Church.  These children are special because we get to teach them from the beginning, we get to give them all the stories from the Bible that they had not heard before.  They have a fresh look of wonder on their faces when they hear of the way God moved in the lives of the Israelites - how God knows everything, and always brings His people back from being at the bottom of a situation, to being on top.  After preparing our lesson and we are so excited to meet the kids to share it.  Sometimes when we reach the room, no one is there! But that does not discourage us. We prepare that lesson again and hope that next week, the kids will come again.  Maybe it might be just one kid. The best time was when there were four kids.  The greatest feeling is when they remember what we say and can answer questions the next week. Then we know that they were listening and that makes us so happy. But ultimately what we want is for them to be our Sunday school children for a long time, even after sunday school is over. We want to be their mentors and we want them to come to us for advice, as friends. We want them to grow up safely in the arms of Jesus and we want them to know that Jesus is with them - from the innocency of childhood to the realization of adulthood - especially the transition in between. Jesus wants them to accept Him and let Him walk with them through life. 
Esmeralda (BASC Non-Christian class)

I thank God for giving me the opportunity to teach in Sunday School.  Teaching in Sunday School is not about imparting biblical knowledge only but rather teaching the children who GOD is, guiding them how to live for HIM, and showing them by being an example to trust and depend on HIM fully.
Mrs Irene Ong Pr 5 (girls class)

I often get sore throat after Sunday School lessons after talking non-stop for an hour.  Nevertheless I will press on as I know my labour is not in vain.  I have learnt much from teaching and am strengthen in the process.

The boys in my class are all from Christian families, and they are sometimes very talkative, having known one another since kindergarten days.  When I asked the boys for scripture reference in relation to the lesson, they are eager to share their Bible knowledge and other scripture references they are familiar with.  It is a challenge to bring the boys back to the lesson whenever they get carried away.
Mrs Karen Heng (Pr 3 class)

            I thank God for His guidance and help towards me in teaching the Primary 4 students. It is a great joy to watch them grow in the Lord. 
During preparation of Sunday School lessons, I studied and learned more of God’s words. In teaching there are joys and struggles.  One of the joy is when we see the students learn and grow. Part of the struggle is when I lost control of the class. But this year God has sent 8 wonderful obedient and conscientious girls.

There were times; I was very busy at work that I could not find sufficient time in preparation. It was a struggle as the responsibility was great and with much prayer, God worked within me as I taught, the words just flowed. God cares much more than I do for His flock. In fact, the lesson was brought across to the students much better than my expectation. These were the lessons that God had taught me to rely upon Him instead of my own ability and strength. He cares and helps me through the task despite of my shortcomings. His love never fails especially for His little children.

Evelyn Tan, Teacher, 4 Girls

Students say:

I enjoy Sunday School as I have many friends.  I learnt about the gospel and get to do fun activities.
Darrick Chan P3A

I know I have caused my teacher sore throats. Thank you teacher for teaching me about Jesus painstakingly! I will buy you cough drops!
Anonymous.

The joy that I have for Sunday School classes

I really enjoy Sunday School classes as I am able to learn more about the Bible characters in greater detail.  Although sometimes I do not quite understand the Sunday School lessons taught, I will always have a valuable lesson to take home.  I also love to memorize the memory verse during every lesson because as I read the verse, I recall the lesson, which had been taught.  When I feel fearful, depressed or upset, those verses always encourage me and assure me that the Lord is forever watching over me.
Joelle Heng, Pr 5 (girls)

I like Sunday school because I learn many things about God.
Jonathan (P5 Boys)

It is difficult to memorize the memory verses! My teacher holds a xxxxxxx – kidding… I have fun learning about God with my friends. 
Anonymous (P5 Boy)

I like Sunday School because I learn many things about Jesus.
Emmanuel (P5 boys)

I like Sunday School because all my friends are here.
Joshua K (P5 Boys)

 

I like Sunday school because it is very interesting and I can learn many things about God.
Ryan (P5 Boys)

My name is Prudence Lim and I am from the Primary 4 Girls Sunday School class.  This year, our teacher, Auntie Evelyn, would divide the lesson into two parts every week.  The first part focuses on three questions of the Larger Catechism.  Sometimes, I would have trouble understanding the answers, but I would read the proof texts (verses used to prove the answers) to help myself understand better.  Next, Auntie Evelyn would tell us a story from the bible.  Currently, the topic is “God Starts His Church”.
Every Christian has his own Christian struggles, such as the temptation to lie, cheat or do something not pleasing in the eyes of God.  I am not spared from these temptations and struggles too although my friends around me are rather decent.  I am from a mission school that teaches the students to be good and obedient to adults.
Well, in my school, there was a sin many students enjoyed doing during recess last year: Tempting the Lord.  There was this big hill behind my school, and students loved to climb to the top and brag about their “feat” -- but this was not encouraged by the school as students might have a bad fall down the hill.  Well, one day I wanted to go to the field, not the hill which was beside the field.  However, upon my friends’ persuasion, I went up the hill with them.  After we got back down safely, I promised myself never to go up again.
A few days later, my friends asked me to go up again.  “No,” I said, because I knew it was tempting the Lord.  It was pretty sad and lonely watching them laughing up there, but I guess it was pretty worth it to stand alone!
Coming to church and Sunday school helps me to learn God’s Word and God’s will for me.  I am not afraid not to do/say the “cool” naughty things/words that my friends do/say, as I know they are not pleasing to God.
Prudence Lim, P4G