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"Hi, Dad, it's Krista. I've got cancer." The afternoon our oldest daughter called to give us this news, the world stopped turning.
No one in either of our families had ever had cancer, and the diagnosis was so unexpected. In the first few hours, while we were still in shock, members of our Sunday School class came by with flowers and hugs. They surrounded us with love and prayer. Krista's own Sunday School class, which she had joined only months earlier, surrounded her with love and support.
While no one can be fully prepared for devastating news, an adult Sunday School class helps build a wealth of understanding and support among its members through the sharing of common life experiences. Cancer was new to our family, but it was not new to our Sunday School class. One of our closest friends had recently received treatment for breast cancer. Another young mother had gone through that struggle and died two years before. Our class knew what we were dealing with — and they knew ways to love us through this difficult time.
Across the years, Sunday School has been the place where the challenges of life have been shared. The loss of a child, a spouse, a parent, a job; struggles with teenagers and drug use; unplanned pregnancies and divorce — are all within our collective experiences. Not only do we care about one another, we also provide insights into how to find blessings in the midst of hard times.
For adults who grew up in the church, adult Sunday School provides the opportunity to put an adult perspective to the Bible stories and well-known verses learned in childhood. For adults for whom the church is a new experience, Sunday School provides the place to ask questions, to learn about the Bible and see how it applies to their lives.
My wife, Beth, and I have always attended Sunday School together. Each Sunday our class time has involved a lesson with input from the teacher, followed by class discussion, ending with a prayer circle where we share joys and concerns. As we study God's word together and how it applies to our lives, each class session helps us heighten our awareness of the wonder of God and deepen our knowledge and understanding of his love.
Sunday School provides a depth of learning and sharing that encourages meaningful, supportive friendships. It gives participants a group of significant partners in living the Christian life together. Beyond being a place where "everyone knows your name," the adult Sunday School provides a place where members truly care about and support one other.
Sunday School classes have given us our deepest friendships-relationships that have lasted for years, and that we anticipate will last the rest of our lives. We have not only gone through times of sadness together, we have also shared in the joys and victories of our lives together. Most of all, Sunday School keeps us close to one another and to our Lord Jesus Christ. Sunday School — it's for life!
Steve and Beth Wilke attend First United Methodist Church in Winfield, Kan. This column is part of a series on the United Methodist Sunday School Initiative, prepared in cooperation with The United Methodist Publishing House in Nashville, Tenn.
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