Excerpt
Mark Twain (1835-1910) wrote, "Often, the less there is to justify a traditional custom, the harder it is to get rid of it." His fictional 19th century character Tom Sawyer hated Sunday school "with his whole heart." It lasted 90 minutes, and then came the worship service, during which children who memorized 2,000 scripture verses could receive a copy of the Bible. Tom managed to wheedle the necessary quantity of tickets from other kids who had memorized their verses, and he was called up in front of the congregation and given a Bible. When asked who Jesus appointed as the first two disciples, he finally blurted, "David and Goliath!"
Tom well represents creative, energetic children who need other ways of learning about God besides memorizing verses. Many children today will not respond to traditional Sunday school formats. Howard Gardner formulated a list of multiple intelligences, demonstrating that people learn in different ways. Consider how children's activities at church and in your home might be modified to accommodate the variety of children's educational needs. Work with the educational component of your church to bring about changes that will enhance the Sunday experience for children.