Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States
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I would like to know new ways to reach out the children who do not come regularly to Sunday School.

A servant must allow God's grace to work within them in order to empower and motivate them.. One of the main precepts in SERVICE is flexibility and wisdom. St. James explains wisdom as: "first pure, then peaceable, gentle and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits" (James 3:15-17).

Children complain of boredom and repetitiveness at Sunday School.

The attention span of an adult is 20-30 minutes, that of a child is much less. If we are not creative, we will loose their interest. Creativity is a talent that is not hard to acquire.
In order to reach out those children we have to consider two points:

1- How to be a good servant.
Please refer to a sermon on the Diocese web site titled: How to be Effective in the Field of Service.

2- Ways to motivate children to attend Sunday School. Some suggestions are:
a) Have the children interact during the lesson; don't let them sit down as listeners. If they read the lesson ahead maybe they can act it out.

b) Holy Bible Trivia. Children of all ages like to be challenged and like competition.
c) Encourage them to participate in the Holy Bible contest offered by the Diocese. Dedicate few minutes before each lesson to see if any one had trouble answering the questions.

d) Encourage them to participate in the kids clubs and camps offered by many churches in the Diocese. Also there are a lot of  retreats offered by the Diocese to different age groups. These are full of different activities that  children enjoy, and can help them bond with the church and Sunday School.

e) Reward them with prizes when  they participate.

f) Many children are very creative. Ask their opinion about setting up the next lesson; they like to feel that their opinions are being considered and of value.

g) THE MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL is  to show the children that you sincerely love them and care for them. If they don't show up, call them that night and express how much you missed them, you don't know how effective this phone call is. It might be hard to visit them but if you can, do it. Visiting a person or caring for them is essential for whoever is in a position of responsibility. Visiting others means being concerned about them. This deepens love among people.

h) Always pray for your Sunday School children and remember the Lord’s loving kindness  bestowed upon you, and you will always lead a life of service and thanksgiving. Faith and trust in the Lord will grow in your heart.
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