By Janice R. Mills

As a Director of Christian Education and Youth Ministry, I spend much time on caring for the Christian education of children and youth in the parish. The Sunday morning Church School hour is a high point of my week, as I see young persons and adults actively engaging the Christian faith. Energy and enthusiasm run at high levels as education occurs.

But one item deeply concerns me: Some people are under the impression that Christian education ceases once they are confirmed as a church member. This is not unique to any one parish, but appears to be common to Christianity in general. The reasons are as diverse as the persons themselves. Although the situation is easily identified, the solution may be a bit more involved.

One solution to the post-confirmation situation is to use the "Educational Bagel" approach. On the door of my office hangs a large picture of a bagel, which a parishioner painted. Perhaps you’re questioning the correlation between bagels and Christian education, but that picture best describes the thoughts of myself and our Sunday school superintendents on Christian education involvement. We call it the "Educational Bagel" and believe that it is applicable to Christian education for all ages.

Consider three aspects of the bagel: ingredients, nourishment, and cream cheese. Christian education, especially for the post-confirmation group, must include a variety of ingredients. A few might be youth, Sunday school staff, church staff, and families. Another key ingredient is activity; if this group of the congregation is not active in the parish, they will be active elsewhere. Just the right balance of varied people, activity, and age-appropriateness will encourage post-confirmation Christian education to rise.

Like the bagel at the breakfast table, nourishment is the final result of encountering the "Education Bagel," the benefit of actively engaging in the whole life of the church and studying God’s Word. Post-confirmation students need to encounter God’s Word in an active sense, but also in ways that are immediately applicable to their lives.

The cream cheese is God’s love, which completely covers the educational program of the church and provides a significant taste in Christian education.

Christian education is not the sole responsibility of any one person within the church. Instead, it is a group effort, for all the people of God. It is individual and family oriented, and spans the ages. I challenge you, as Christian sisters and brothers, to active and increased involvement of ALL God’s people – families, youth, and staff – for the educational ministry of the church. Christian education after confirmation is lost only if we allow it to be lost. Christian education IS a bagel, filled with nutrition and nourishment, appropriate for all ages, and covered with God’s love. It is by providing "Education Bagels" for ALL ages that people will come to the church and be fed and nourished. Bon Appetit!

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