Key Verse: Verse 15 – “ Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
Key Words: the word of truth
During the last half of the 18th century, many communities in England dreaded Sundays. It was the only day the children who worked in the factories had off and, not surprisingly, they let off rowdiness as well.
Robert Raikes, owner and printer of The Gloucester Journal, had great concern for these young ruffions who were finding all types of mischief to get into. Raikes knew that most of the kids causing the problem had little or no parental guidance. He also knew that unless something was done that these kids would end up in prison or, even worse, would either kill or be killed.
Since the kids had to work all week and had little education, Raikes decided to establish schools for these children to attend on Sunday. He hired women from the neighborhoods to teach these ruffions to read. With the help of others, Raikes soon was able to enroll hundreds of the kids in what was known as “Sunday School.” They met in the local churches and used the Bible as, not just the primary textbook, but the only textbook. The kids learned to read and write, learned the fundamentals of math and they were taught history, all from God’s Word. The excitement of those ruffions spread and the children who were of a more “stable” family environment began to complain because they wanted to go to Sunday School as well; and go they did! This idea of Sunday School caught on and spread like wildfire. Thousands of children were now attending.
In 1785 Raikes began to publish Sunday School material – Spelling books, History books, Math books, English books, all based upon God’s Word. It became so popular adults began to sit in on the classes and eventually, around 1788, they “demanded” their own Sunday School classes for adults. So it was that Sunday School had “caught on.” Today there are Sunday School classes all around the world, thanks to the vision of Robert Raikes and his concern for some ruffions who desparately needed the Word of Truth.
What to do:
✞Sunday School is not a place for planning activities, but rather a place for being active in the Word of God. See you in Sunday School!
Dr. Mike Rouse
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