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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Sunday School (10/25/07)
“We’ve advertised for Sunday School teachers four weeks in a row now, and we haven’t gotten anybody,” a frustrated Carol Abernathy complained to her best friend Nicole Pearson.
“Nobody at all?”
“Well, Mrs. Winslow came forward, but she’s 85 and suffering short term memory loss. By the end of the conversation, she’d forgotten what she came to see me about.”
“That could be interesting. Get her to teach junior high. The memory and attention spans will match.”
“And creepy George, who always rollerblades to church in his spandex said he’d be interested. Him and his banana hammock. It’s hardly worship inspiring. I can’t imagine him passing a criminal record check.”
“Bad fashion sense isn’t a crime, Carol. But you’re right. A lack of self-awareness can hardly be good for someone teaching children.”
“What am I going to do,” wailed Carol. “We’re short seven teachers for the semester. I can’t cover that. I should never have become the super.”
“Sounds like you may have to shut the Sunday School down,” said Nicole, half under her breath.
“Shut it down?” Carol’s wail grew louder. “Sunday School has been running at First Baptist for a hundred and six years. I can’t shut it down. I can hear it now; ‘We had a great Sunday School until we put that Abernathy woman in charge.’ And not just them. What will Jesus say?”
“What?”
“You know, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant—except you, Carol Abernathy. You shut down Sunday School—go stand with the goats.’ I couldn’t possibly. Ohhhh!” Carol dissolved in a puddle of tears.
Nicole put her arms around her friend to comfort her. “It’s only Sunday School.”
“Only Sunday School?” Carol drew back. “How can you say that? It’s where children learn to love Jesus whom they will one day follow. It’s where they learn to take their first steps of faith. Where they cut their teeth on trials, and stumble in their efforts at obedience, only to be cheered on by the heroes of the faith made real to them. Without Sunday School, they’d never learn the songs that comfort them, or the bible verses that sustain them.” The mucus running from Carol’s nose only added to her indignity. Nicole fetched a Kleenex from her purse and held it out to her friend. “Without Sunday School,” huffed Carol, “we’d soon have no church.”
“You are aware,” said Nicole, “that there are two thousand one hundred years of church history, of which two thousand don’t include Sunday School?”
“Really?”
“First Baptist may not survive, but I’m sure the church will. And if First Baptist doesn’t survive,” here Nicole’s voice took on a tinge of frost, “It will be because of rumor, innuendo, and the inability to forgive. Not the closing of the Sunday School.”
“Have people been talking already?”
“That’s my point,” exclaimed Nicole. “Exactly what I mean. At the first sign of a problem, the whisper campaigns start. It doesn’t matter if they’ve been talking or not,” she continued darkly, “we’re suspicious. It happens so regularly.”
“I’d love to talk about who’s talking,” replied Carol, “some other day over tea when we can really get into it. Right now I’ve got a crisis on my hands.”
“Let it go,” said Nicole. “Let it fail.”
“How can you be so callous?”
“Has it ever occurred to you that if God is behind the ministry, he’ll provide the resources?”
“I’ve heard that heresy.” Now it was Carol’s turn to be dark. “Usually from the mega-church crowd. But they’re not real disciples. They don’t know how to carry their cross.”
“Ouch! With a martyr’s complex like that, you could be a fundamentalist.”
“Ouch yourself. I don’t relish the prospect of denying children a valuable ministry. How is that building up the church?
“Maybe it has to fail to be something better.” Nicole’s nonchalance was starting to get up Carol’s nose.
“Explain,” demanded Carol.
“Have you looked around downtown lately?” Nicole asked.
“We are downtown. How could I miss it?”
“How indeed?” continued Nicole. “Imagine that all the buildings down here were as old as First Baptist.”
“It would be a lovely tourist area,” protested Carol.
“In a pig’s eye. Very few built with the dedication to craftsmanship that went into this building. This city would be a decrepit dump. Fortunately they tore down what couldn’t sustain itself and put up something better.”
“Newer isn’t better,” grumped Carol.
“Not always,” agreed Nicole, “but if you don’t let go, you’ll never find out.”
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Member Comments
Member
Date
julie wood
11/02/07
I really enjoyed reading this--terrific dialogue! I could just hear those ladies--and also see some of the colorful people they describe. The whole dilemma came alive for me.

This would be easier to read with spaces inserted between each character's passage of dialogue. However, the dialogue proved so interesting that in this case my attention remained riveted despite the lack of spacing!
Lynda Schultz 
11/06/07
Both Carol and Nicole make some valid points. This would make an excellent discussion starter at a Christian Ed. meeting or church meeting. As a Christian Educator, I'd encourage Carol NEVER to advertise, but to personally seek out people in the congregation who have the gift of teaching and challenge them with the project. She'll know who they are if she spends enough time in prayer about the situation. Another good idea to have teachers sign a one year covenant _ that way they know they don't have to be in the nursery for the rest of their lives! I'm getting off my soapbox now. Very well written.