Expert: Mrs. Priscilla Lyons - 8/13/2006

Question
I've been helping with the 7-8 year old Sunday School class.  Can you offer any tips on keeping order in the class?  We are constantly being
challenged by bad behavior.  Usually, it's
4 or 5 kids, usually boys off the busses.  It
makes it very difficult to give them a quality lesson.  Thanks and God bless!

Steve

Answer
Dear Steve,
   I apologize for not responding sooner.  I should have put myself on vacation since we are babysitting our four year old grandson and it's hard to think very much without being interrupted by so much going on.
   But dealing with the situation you mentioned is much more difficult, so I'm not very qualified to help.
   My husband mentioned that some bus ministry children come from homes that foster bad behavior, so what little influence the church has, doesn't have much opportunity to flourish at home anyway.  Rather than allow children who aren't interested in changing, disrupt what other children who ARE interested might learn, my husband said it might be better to try to get the parent(s) of these disruptive kids to allow people from church to bring a Bible class for the rough kids in their own homes during the week or on a Sunday afternoon.  If the parent(s) don't want the gospel in their homes, then it's pretty useless to have their kids at church unless there is someone really gifted with children, whom the Holy Spirit has given a heart to really connect with these children.  
   With your reaching out on behalf of these youngsters, perhaps God will use you in a special way.  You might check with church libraries or even public libraries for books about classroom discipline.  With the current litigious climate and corporal punishment being so politically incorrect, discipline has gotten out of hand in many cases.
   Bad behavior can sometimes be improved with personal relationships outside of the classroom, with the family.  
   There are a few times I've had such situations and God has given me direction to deal specifically with one or more children, but I would never have figured it out myself, so I don't know how to advise anyone except that if God wants you to do something, He'll lead you to the idea or ideas you need.  
   I praise God that you care about this Sunday School class and are willing to help.  I pray that God leads you to a better source of info than myself, and that He gives you and others the inspiration needed to deal with these unruly children.
   Sincerely,
   Priscilla Lyons
P.S. You might give a lesson on II Kings 2:23-24 about the bears who tore up 42 children who mocked Elisha.  Just kidding.