Sunday School Is the Skeletal Structure of the Church
Recovering the Teaching Ministry That Sustains the Church
I have always lived within walking distance of the churches my family attended, a gift I did not fully appreciate until later in life. That nearness made church feel less like an event and more like an extension of home. Of all the gatherings I encountered growing up, none shaped me more deeply than the Sunday School hour. It was there that I was introduced to the history of the faith, the works of Jesus, and the biblical narratives that still form my ethical, moral, and spiritual worldview. Sunday School also gave me friendships rooted in faith and environments where spiritual growth was not just expected, but encouraged. I still remember the first time I heard about the Hebrew boys who refused to bow to Nebuchadnezzar, willing to face the fiery furnace rather than compromise their faith. I was captivated when I learned they emerged from the flames without even smelling like smoke. In that moment, I believed that Jesus would stand with me if I dared to stand for Him.
Over time, however, my appreciation for Sunday School faded. Like many others, I began to assume I already knew the stories, and I internally questioned its relevance. I did not walk away from it entirely, but I no longer saw it as essential. That changed in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced churches to find new ways to reach members. My church transitioned to virtual teaching, and I was invited to lead weekly Sunday School lessons online. What began as a necessity became a lifeline. Since April 2020, I have had the privilege of teaching consistently, both virtually and in person. Through that experience, my perspective has been reshaped. I now believe that Sunday School is not a relic of the past, but the skeletal structure of the church. It forms the framework through which believers grow in understanding, as preaching and worship breathe life into the truth that Sunday School helps to establish. The primary way God reveals Himself is through His Word. Without a foundation in that Word, it becomes difficult to recognize His presence in the ways He has chosen to make Himself known. In John 14:15, Jesus says, “If you love me, keep my commandments,” and goes on to promise that those who know Him will become dwelling places for His presence. Sunday School is one of the places where that knowledge begins.
When you look at the human body, the skeleton is what holds everything together. It gives the body shape, structure, and support. I believe Sunday School serves a similar role in the life of the church. Now, I would never minimize the importance of faith. Without faith, it’s impossible to please God, but faith doesn’t grow in a vacuum. Hebrews tells us that faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen. But even conviction needs something solid underneath it. Faith is not just emotion or instinct, it’s a response to what we’ve come to understand about God.
The good news is that God doesn’t leave us guessing. He reveals Himself in more ways than one. Through the testimony of others, through our own life experiences, and through the beauty of creation, we catch glimpses of His presence. But it is through His Word that all of those glimpses come into focus. His Word is where we hear His voice most clearly, where His nature and will are most fully made known. That’s why Sunday School is so important, especially for those who are still growing in their Christian walk. It’s the place where the stories come alive, where questions get answered, and where faith is shaped by truth. Without God’s Word as the foundation, we risk building our beliefs on feelings alone. But when the Word is taught with clarity and care, it becomes the framework that helps us see God rightly and walk with Him faithfully.
As teachers of God’s Word, we must never take the calling lightly. James 3:1 reminds us that those who teach will be judged more strictly, pointing to God’s intolerance for false teaching and spiritual laziness. In Revelation 2, Jesus Himself commends the church in Ephesus for rejecting false apostles, showing how seriously He takes the purity of teaching. And the author of Hebrews says that the Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword, able to pierce soul and spirit, joints and marrow. That piercing work must begin with the teacher. Before we ever look outward, we have to ask what the text is saying to us. If we can’t see ourselves in the passage, then we must humbly seek the Spirit and ask what is blocking our vision. I remember a season in my marriage when I struggled with showing compassion to my wife, Christie. It was a Sunday School lesson, simple in structure but weighty in truth, that broke through. It humbled me, convicted me, and it pointed me back toward repentance. That is what the Word does when we honestly let it speak to us first. As Sunday School teachers, we must sit under the text before we try to stand up with it. That means we don’t just quote Scripture, we explain it. We go beyond religious phrases and help people understand the truth behind them. And we model that process ourselves. When we allow God’s Word to correct our emotions and determine our instincts, we invite others to do the same. That kind of submission produces both accountability and vulnerability. It allows us to teach not just from the page, but from a life that is being shaped by the text itself.
One of the most significant ways Sunday School strengthens the body of Christ is by shaping the minds and convictions of the entire congregation, not just its leaders. In many church contexts, theological understanding and biblical interpretation are viewed as the exclusive domain of the pastor or ministry staff. Spiritual maturity is often mistakenly reserved for those in leadership, while others excuse themselves with the assumption that attendance alone is enough. I remember telling myself that I didn’t need to pursue deeper understanding because I wasn’t married, I wasn’t pastoring, and I wasn’t responsible for anyone’s soul but my own. That inclination to diminish our own personal responsibilities is much too common, especially in the area of maturity in faith. The truth is, many of our congregations lack a shared foundation in basic doctrines, biblical principles, and denominational identity. Even in churches with strong teaching ministries, we’ve all witnessed how differing interpretations can cause confusion or division. And in today’s world, where opinions are shaped more by trending clips than tested truth, the consequences of biblical illiteracy are more visible than ever in pulpits, pews, and public discourse. When believers are grounded in sound doctrine, they are better equipped to discern, to endure, and to represent Christ faithfully.
This past summer during Vacation Bible School, we challenged our adult students to articulate their faith in thirty seconds or less, not just based on personal experience, but rooted in Scripture. We asked them to move beyond testimony alone and connect their stories to daily Bible reading and theological understanding. By the end of the week, it was amazing to hear how many of them spoke with deeper clarity and conviction. Their words didn’t lose passion, but gained precision. That’s what happens when faith is paired with understanding. It strengthens not only the individual, but the church as a whole.
If the church is the body of Christ, then Sunday School is its skeletal structure. It holds us upright when culture tries to bend us. It gives substance to our faith and testimony, and it supports every movement we make in ministry. Without it, our growth is stunted, our unity weakened, and our mission obscured. Sunday School is not just for children, nor is it a relic of the past. It is the introduction to seminary in the Christian life and the foundation of discipleship for every believer. As pastors and churches, we must commit to building congregations that pair passion with precision. As teachers, we should prepare our lessons not as weekly chores, but as acts of personal spiritual formation. The church must embrace the power of consistent, Spirit-led, biblically grounded instruction. Revival can begin in the classroom just as powerfully as in the sanctuary.
Believers today need informed faith, not just emotional fervor. When we rebuild the skeletal structure, we strengthen the entire body. We don’t need to reinvent Sunday School. We need to reclaim it, reinvest in it, and reimagine it for this generation and the next.