Moment for Mission Archive

Good morning.

I am here to kick off the stewardship drive. Over the next four weeks ending on November 23rd, you will be asked to give thought to pledging your time, talent and treasure to the mission of this church.

This morning I’d like to focus on Christian Education here at Rutgers, which is one of the ministries your pledges support. It costs money to educate both children and adults:

1. Staff for the nursery
2. Child care for meetings and study groups
3. Curriculum for Sunday School
4. Tools and supplies
5. Honorariums for guest speakers
6. Snacks and meals.

Your financial pledges say YES to Christian Education here at Rutgers, but you can also say YES by making a pledge of time and talent.

Late last spring, Cheryl asked me if I would consider teaching Sunday School in the fall, and my inside voice started screaming NO NO NO. I wouldn’t know how to teach them or what to teach them. I can’t get my own kids to behave, let alone other people’s kids. I’d miss the sermons down here; I love the sermons and look forward to them all week. And the choir. I don’t want to miss all that. Plus, I’m more of a Christian in utero, not really devout yet. Me teach Sunday School? I don’t know…smacks of fraud. I’m going to get punished for this. This is my inside voice.

But probably because Rutgers has been so good to my family, and by Rutgers I mean you all sitting out there and up there, and because Cheryl said there was a need, I replied with my outside voice: Sure.

I’ve just finished my 8-week tour of duty co-teaching with Cynthia Gale, and here’s what I can tell you about my experience. I had a good time. I don’t think I’m a particularly good teacher—I thank God for Cynthia, who is. One of the pleasures for me of being a Sunday School teacher was getting reacquainted with the Bible stories I first heard fifty years ago. The Garden of Eden, Joseph and his brothers: these are wonderfully complex, disturbing and thought-provoking tales that bear revisiting. Another pleasure was getting to know the kids in the congregation. They’re very bright, focused, funny—a real credit to their parents.

And lastly, it’s been a pleasure to be around Cheryl’s energy and commitment to Christian Education in this community. She’s full of great ideas for Sunday School. So if she asks you if you would consider teaching Sunday School, and your inside voice screams NO NO NO, take a breath, think of all the ways this community serves you, give thanks to God, and say YES. But if you are one of those who says, “If nominated I will not run, if elected I will not serve,” and you are sure that you cannot teach, there are other ways you can help. I don’t know what they are, but Cheryl does. Ask her.