Is There Sunday School After High School?

High school graduation ceremonies take place each spring across the nation. As the youth of your church graduate from high school, will they also "graduate" from Sunday school, never to come back again?

Statistics tell us that over half of all kids who attend Sunday school during their high school years will stop attending (at least regularly) once they graduate from high school. Every Sunday school leader should find this statistic very alarming and quite unacceptable.

What will your Sunday school do to assure the continued attendance of your recent high school graduates? Having a definite plan of action is the first step. When making such a plan, here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Post-high school age students need their own Sunday school class. Their problems, cares and concerns are much different from those of high school students. And these students should not be placed in a class with young adult couples either.

2. Be flexible. Youth of this age, especially those who go to college, will not be in attendance every week. Make sure that your weekly lesson plans address the genuine concerns of the group while remaining flexible to include everyone in attendance.

3. Don’t lose touch with these kids. Some of these youth will not be able to attend Sunday school regularly because of college or work. Even so, make sure that you keep in touch with them. Write, call or E-mail them often. Let them know that you and your Sunday school are concerned about them and are praying for them.

4. Plan special Sunday school social and recreational activities, especially during college break and holiday times.

5. Encourage these youth to bring their friends. Larger classes and activities make for a better event. And remember, one reason some youth will stop coming to Sunday school is because their friends are away at college or no longer attend. Therefore, involving new friends and creating new friendships is essential.

(This article appeared in the "Summer, 1993" issue of "The Herald.")