RAISING CHILDREN is a wonderful, but big, job. It often involves more than a single parent or even both parents. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, teachers, coaches, day-care providers, community-center volunteers, and others help nurture and teach children so that they can become happy, self-reliant, and productive citizens of the world. Many children, however, have few or no mentors or role models. Media reports indicate that a growing number of urban children, some only seven years old, are basically surviving on their own. What role does the Christian Science Sunday School have in supporting all the children in our communities, no matter what circumstances they are facing?
It lets children know about God's unconditional love. It provides an atmosphere in which they feel safe and where they can learn what God's love means to them. This understanding encourages self-respect and responsible self-government, and it enables children to think and act with brotherly love, blessing families and communities.
Through the pastor of the Church of Christ, Scientist—the Bible, and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy—students learn about the law of divine Love. The teachings and example of Christ Jesus show them that this law can be applied to the healing of sickness and sin, proving that Love is omnipotent. No matter what their lives include during the week, pupils know they can turn to Sunday School for spiritually based answers to their questions. So the Sunday School supports the valuable efforts of parents and of children's organizations, but it also brings a deeper purpose to a child's activities.
