Week 2 of Bible Improv Sunday School Experiment

On Sunday, we tackled the Adam and Eve story--with mimes! We had some high school students who have done miming in a semi-professional way, along with a mom who had once done some theological clowning in addition to her days as a mime. The other children got to pretend to be trees and animals in the garden. I was the narrator.

I continue to like this interactive way of doing Sunday School. I think the participants will remember the stories more for having been part of them. I also like the intergenerational approach. I know that in many churches, there are scarcely enough children for each class: one first grader, 3 fourth graders, a pre-schooler here and there--how can a Christian Ed program work with such small numbers? How do we find enough volunteers?

Happily, our experiment has revolving leadership, so it's easier to find volunteers. I haven't often volunteered for Sunday School because I travel fairly frequently at certain times of the year, and finding a sub can be a problem. But with our current program, I volunteered to be in charge for 2 Sundays, and if I'm in town, I show up to help on other Sundays.

I suspect that the days of bustling Sunday Schools, where every grade/age has 10 or more students, are over. We need more models like the one we're creating, so I'll continue to write about our efforts here, as well as thinking about other ways to do Sunday School successfully.