"We have some news today - Sunday School has started " - that's what the students and teachers sang together, celebrating the opening of the new Sunday School year on September 15. After the summer holidays the start of Sunday School was a joyous occasion for those who attended last year, and a new experience for the beginners. This start of the school year was extraordinary: the children saw the heroes of the Bible as people like themselves, with many similar problems and concerns. Thanks to the examples of Noah, Joseph and other biblical characters the students saw how to deal with issues such as family relationships and obedience to God, among others. Using skits and games, the teachers showed that the Bible is a source of advice for all of life's difficulties.

 

"Every year we have new, interesting programs, new lesson themes, and with today's skits we introduced the theme of the coming semester - Heroes of the Faith" - that's how Inna Shapar, the director of Salvation Church Sunday School, explained it. "At this point we have about 50 children - 15 more than last year. Most of the newcomers in Sunday School attended our summer camp, Papa + Me 2, and some we met on the playgrounds" - she said, when asked about what's new this year.

Due to the increasing number of students, the number of groups has also increased from 3 to 4. In spite of the split into more groups, the friendships between the age groups are not suffering: in addition to the Sunday school, some of the boys and girls also participate in the children's worship team, and the largest group, the older students, also meet in a less formal setting - those between the ages of 11 and 15 years will be able to attend the small group led by Vladimir and Anya Zemlyaniy.

At the end of the meeting the students were introduced to their groups and got to know their teachers. All of the kids were eager to talk about their time together with their peers and teachers over refreshments. Then the first dismissal bell of the year sounded in that school where the teachers serve in order to lead children into a sincere relationship with God.

Vlada Ryabukha