The first time I met a Christian surnamed Zhang was in his office. Not very tall and slightly overweight, he didn't seem particularly skilled in conversation, giving off a friendly demeanor. However, once he started talking, he spoke openly about his journey of faith and his service in Sunday School, even adding a touch of humor.
Male Sunday school teachers are quite rare in the Chinese church, and Zhang is one of them, who has been serving for seven to eight years. When discussing his calling, he first shared his faith journey.
From a downward spiral of faith to restoring faith and becoming a core worker
Zhang followed Jesus at a young age, and in elementary school, he would go to church with his mother. However, by middle school, he no longer wanted to attend, as he believed there was no God and that humans evolved from apes. As a result, he would go out to play on weekends, sometimes coming home to eat, and other times eating at friends' houses. His mother rarely saw him.
The turning point came in college. According to his usual academic performance, he should have at least been able to get into an undergraduate program, but he didn’t even meet the cutoff for a second-tier school and ended up at a vocational school. It was at this university that he picked up the faith he had abandoned.
Church workers came to the school to conduct a faith survey, and he wrote down that he was a Christian and left his phone number. Later, he discovered that there were several Christians in his class who attended services. It was then that he started going to church with his classmates and began his church life, although his mind was still focused on developing his talents.
A few points shy, he didn’t advance to an undergraduate program. Then, the girl he was pursuing started dating another guy. Yet God never left him and did a renewing work in his life during his most difficult times. "During that time, I just liked going to fellowship meetings and participating in prayer meetings. Later, I started reading the Bible and the Holy Spirit began to transform me. I participated steadily in fellowship service, becoming a small group leader and a core worker," he said.
Rejecting the call of full-time ministry
After graduating from college, Zhang worked for a while before joining the church where he currently serves. He clearly remembers the moment he was called, but he admitted that he didn't "acknowledge" this calling at the time. He was determined to make much money, and his girlfriend (now his wife) also stated that she would not marry someone in full-time ministry.
After getting married, he went through many challenges. His father was diagnosed with late-stage cancer, and Zhang cared for him until his passing. Afterward, his wife’s attitude did a 180-degree turn, from opposing his full-time ministry to fully supporting it. And so, his full-time ministry began.
Before going full-time, he would play with the kids in Sunday School but didn’t need to teach them. This was simply because the pastor had once asked him which area of ministry he felt burdened for, and he "inexplicably" answered, "youth ministry." He explained, "From a human perspective, it was a mistake, but from a spiritual perspective, it was God’s special work."
He recalled, "Through this, God tempered my temperament. It seemed like I was serving them, but God was using them to shape my character." Zhang described himself as quick-tempered, easily getting into arguments when things didn’t go his way, but he found that being patient with children was important. However, he also said that this process was like Moses shepherding in the wilderness for 40 years—it was a painful, unforgettable, and yet deeply grateful experience. "I think during this process, it's not about whether you accept your fate, but about understanding how God is leading you. Many people say, 'My fate is determined by me, not by heaven,' but in reality, no one can control their destiny. The more you try to control it, the more you lose; when you let go, you find that God will certainly lead you safely through the storm without capsizing the boat," he said.
Challenges of serving in an urban church Sunday school
From going full-time to now, Zhang has been working in the Sunday School ministry for seven to eight years and has gained many insights into the difficulties of serving in this area.
First, parents focus much more on their children's academic performance than on their spiritual lives, and so do some Sunday school teachers.
"Parents definitely prioritize their children's studies and then consider their spiritual life. Moreover, when the two conflict, they will always sacrifice their children's spiritual growth."
He noted that nowadays, parents enroll their children in many tutoring classes, making weekends busier than weekdays. Sometimes, he would inform parents three weeks in advance about a three- or four-day summer camp, hoping they would reserve the time for their children. But still, some parents politely declined, citing their children's tutoring classes. Even more disheartening is that some Sunday School teachers, though they verbally express the importance of children's spiritual lives, still prioritize academic performance.
Second, after the pandemic, many people became accustomed to online gatherings and rarely attended in-person services, resulting in children seldom coming to Sunday School.
Zhang said that many families in urban churches are scattered across different locations. Before the pandemic, these families could attend services in person. However, since many got used to online services during the COVID-19 pandemic, they seldom return to onsite gatherings now. When adults don’t attend gatherings in person, it becomes difficult for Sunday School teachers to meet the children. For a time, even online Sunday School sessions were irregular, and children have a short attention span online. It wasn't until this year that their online Sunday School gradually stabilized, with two services conducted every week in the evening.
Meanwhile, some parents are reluctant to make sacrifices.
During the pandemic, Zhang consistently advocated that parents spend more time teaching their children to read the Bible and pray, and establish a family altar to lay a strong foundation for their children’s faith. However, many parents were unwilling to make this sacrifice. When they returned home, they either spent time on their phones or only asked about their children's homework and academic performance, without showing concern for whether their children were reading the Bible. Another challenge was that many parents themselves did not lead a pious life; at home, they only wanted their children not to bother them.
Fourth, Sunday School teachers lack time to do home visits and some parents reject visits, too.
With the current economic downturn, each person faces significant financial pressure. Sunday School teachers also have their own jobs and families, so sometimes they don't have time to visit children. Moreover, even when teachers do have time, some parents reject the visits because they feel it is not necessary.
Fifth, the impact of atheistic education on children’s faith can not be overlooked.
Zhang believes that atheistic education greatly hinders children's faith. Some children, who had established a foundation of faith in church when they were young, began to waver in their faith when they reached middle school and encountered atheistic teachings. Their textbooks taught them that there is no God and promoted evolution.
Some children would ask their parents whether humans were created by God or evolved from apes. Others had questions about dinosaurs and dinosaur fossils because the Bible doesn’t mention dinosaurs. Many parents also didn’t know how to explain these things to their children.
Calling on the church to pay attention to Sunday school
Zhang said that many people don’t care much about Sunday school because it is a high-investment yet zero-output ministry. Many children who attend Sunday School drift away from the church in high school or college.
However, he still believes that the church should prioritize Sunday school because some of these children might become pastors or missionaries. Even though some children may drift away, many of them eventually return to God. Moreover, children's faith is often stronger than that of adults; they believe God’s words with simplicity. When they face problems, their first thought is to pray, and they reflect on their faith.
He shared two examples. His three daughters once laid hands on his van and prayed for it to start, and it did start after a week of being parked in the cold winter for being unable to start. Another time, his eldest daughter had a fever and refused to take medicine to reduce it. Zhang was worried that her fever would worsen the next day, but she assured him that the fever would go down as she had prayed to God. The next day, just as she said, the fever was gone and left only a runny nose and a cough. After these experiences, Zhang began to reflect on his own faith. He realized that although he was in full-time ministry and had read the Bible more than his children with more knowledge of the belief, his faith wasn’t as strong as theirs. He then understood the meaning of the Bible's teaching that unless one becomes like a little child, one cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.
Furthermore, based on his years of ministry to children, he has observed that the spiritual life of children who grow up in Sunday school is largely related to parental influence. A Sunday school teacher may spend, at most, two hours a week with a child, and sometimes they don’t even see the child on Sundays. Although the teacher does influence the child’s faith, it’s not as significant as the parental influence. The amount of time spent together correlates directly with the level of influence.
Someone suggested he conduct a survey on the spiritual growth of children who grew up in Sunday school. He expressed that while he would like to do this, he can hardly contact those children now. Many of them have drifted away because their parents have also gradually disappeared from the church.
Finally, he mentioned that it is not the work of any one person or ministry that can fully nurture children's ministry; every ministry needs to play its part. He gave some examples. If a father is edified in a men's retreat and is willing to be a good husband and father, he will certainly pay attention to his child's spiritual education. If a mother receives grace in a women's retreat and shifts her focus to God, she will become more concerned about her child's spiritual life. If someone restores their relationship with God through daily devotions, they will gain the strength and wisdom to face opposition from their family regarding their own and their child's faith.
- Edited by Karen Luo, translated by Abigail Wu
初次与一张姓基督徒见面是在他的办公室。他个子不太高，身材微胖，显得很随和，但看起来似乎他不太擅长言谈。然而当话匣子一被打开，他就毫无保留地将自己的信仰经历和主日学服事娓娓道来，并带着些许幽默。
男主日学老师在中国教会中非常罕见，而张弟兄就是其中之一。目前他已经在主日学的岗位上服事了七八年的时间。在谈到他的这份呼召时，他首先分享了自己的信仰历程。
一.信仰下坡路——恢复信仰并成为核心同工
张弟兄从小信主，小学还会跟着妈妈去教会。但到了初中就再也不想去了，因为他觉得世上根本就没有上帝，而且相信人也是由猿猴变的。因此一到周末他就出去玩了，有时还会回家吃个饭，有时就在别人家吃饭了。他妈妈根本见不着他的面。
而转机发生在大学。本来按照他的成绩，他最起码可以考上本科；然而他连二本线都没过，报考了一所专科学校。也就是在这个大学，他重拾起被他扔掉的信仰。
教会同工去学校做信仰问卷调查，他写了信仰基督教并留下了自己的电话。后面他偶然发现他的班级里竟然隐藏了好几个基督徒，并且他们还去教会。他这才跟着同学去了教会，开始了他的教会生活，但是他的心思依然在发挥自己的才干上。
后面几分之差，他没有升上本。紧接着要追的女生跟别的男生好了，而上帝从未离开他，并在他最艰难的时候在他生命中做更新的工作，“那段时间就喜欢去团契，参与一些祷告会。后来就开始读圣经，圣灵就开始翻转。他很稳定地参与团契服事，做小组长、核心同工。”他说。
二. 拒绝呼召——全职服事
大学毕业后，张工作了一段时间，之后就来到了他现在委身与服事的教会。他清楚地记得他被呼召的场景，然而他表示，他当时并“不认可”这个呼召。因为那个时候他一心想赚大钱，并且他女友（现在的妻子）也明确表态不会嫁给全职服事者。
结婚后，他经历了很多事情。父亲查出癌症晚期，他照顾父亲直到他去世。再之后，妻子的态度竟然180°大转弯，从之前反对他全职服事到极力赞同他全职服事。就这样，他的全职服事生涯开始了。
全职前，他就在主日学带着孩子一起玩，但不需要给孩子上课。而这只是因为牧师曾询问他对哪方面的服事有负担，他“鬼使神差”地回答“青少年事工”。他解释说：“从人的角度上看是阴差阳错，从属灵的角度上看是上帝特别的工作。”
“经由这个，他约束了自己的脾气。好像是我在服事他们，但是上帝借着他们在磨练我的性格。”张说自己脾气急躁，与别人说话谈不拢就容易和人吵起来，但和孩子相处又急不来。但同时他也表示，这个过程就像摩西40年在旷野牧羊一样，是一段痛苦、难忘又很感恩的回忆。“我觉得这个过程中，不是你认不认命，是认清上帝怎么带领你。很多人说我命由我不由天，但人的命运自己永远掌控不了。越想掌控的时候越容易失去，放手的时候发现上帝一定会带领你安安稳稳；虽经历风浪，但不会翻船。”他说。
三. 服事城市教会主日学遇到的挑战
从全职到如今，他已经在主日学事工中服事了七八个年头，对于在此领域中服事的艰难也有很多的看见。
家长对孩子学习的关注远远超过对他属灵生命的关注，甚至有些主日学老师也是如此。
“家长一定是把孩子的学习放在首位，其次才看灵性方面。另一方面，当这两个有冲突的时候，一定会舍弃孩子生命这块。”
他表示，现在的父母给孩子报很多辅导班，孩子的周末比平时更忙。有时他会提前三周通知家长有三四天的暑期营会，希望家长把孩子的时间预留出来。但还是有一些家长以孩子要上辅导班为由委婉拒绝。更让人痛心的是，有些主日学老师虽然嘴上说重视孩子的属灵生命，但首先看重的依然是题目的学习成绩。
疫情后，很多人习惯了线上，走不到线下，所以很难见到孩子。
张弟兄说，城市教会中很多家庭是分散居住的，疫情前这些家庭还可以实地参加礼拜。但由于很多人在疫情期间习惯了线上礼拜，疫情后就很少到实地聚会了。大人无法实地聚会，主日学老师也很难见到孩子。有一段时间，线上做主日学也不固定，而且在线上孩子的专注力也很不集中。直到今年他们线上的主日学才慢慢稳定下来，为每周晚上两场礼拜。，
家长不愿意付代价
疫情期间，张一直倡导家长要多陪伴孩子，教他们读经、祷告；建立家庭祭坛，以建立孩子信仰的根基。但很多家长不愿意付这个代价；他们回到家要么是刷手机，要么就是询问孩子的作业和学习成绩，而不关心孩子有没有读经等。还有一个困难是，很多家长本身也没有敬虔的生命，在家他们只希望孩子不打扰他们就可以了。
探访时，主日学老师没时间，家长也拒绝
由于目前经济不景气，每个人的挣钱压力都很大。而主日学老师也有自己的工作和家庭，因此有时主日学老师没时间探访。不仅如此，即便主日学老师有时间，有些家长也拒绝被探访，因为他们觉得不需要。
5.无神论教育对孩子信仰的冲击
他认为，无神论教育对孩子的信仰阻碍很大。有的孩子小时候在教会建立信仰的根基，但到了初中接受无神论教育，就开始对信仰动摇；因为课本教导他们没有上帝，教导他们进化论。
有些孩子会问父母，人是上帝创造的还是由猿猴变的？有些孩子对恐龙和恐龙化石也有疑惑，因为圣经并没有讲到恐龙；而很多父母也不知道该怎么跟孩子解释。
四. 呼吁教会关注主日学
张表示，很多人之所以对主日学不感冒是因为主日学是一项高投入但却是零产出的事工。小时候去主日学的孩子，在高中、大学里流失掉很多。
但是，他依然认为教会要重视主日学，因为这些孩子里面也许会出来牧者或者宣教士。而且即便有流失掉的孩子，但他们当中重新回到上帝面前的还是比较多的。并且孩子的信心是比成人大的，他们会单纯地相信上帝的话语；遇到问题他们首先想到的是祷告，并也会反思自己的信仰。
他列举了例子。他家3个女儿按手在他面包车上祷告，从而车打着火；那辆面包车已经在寒冷的冬天被放置了一个星期都无法打着火。还有一次他的大女儿发烧后不肯吃退烧药，张弟兄担心女儿第二天发烧加重，但女儿表示她已经向上帝祷告了，相信烧一定会退。第二天确实如他女儿所说，烧退了，只剩下流鼻涕和咳嗽。经历这些事情后，他开始反思自己的信仰。他表示虽然自己是全职服事者，读经比孩子多，拥有的信仰知识也比孩子多；但在信心方面却比不上孩子。他这才明白圣经说人若不回转成小孩子就不能进天国的意思。
另外，他根据这些年对小孩子的服事看到，主日学里长大的孩子属灵生命如何，更关键的在于父母对他生命的影响。因为主日学老师一周最多与孩子见面、相处2个多小时，有的时候一周连一面都见不着。虽然孩子的信仰也会受到主日学老师的影响，但其实影响没父母的那么大。因为和老师在一起的时间很有限，这影响力是和时间成正比的。
有人建议他对在主日学长大的孩子的信仰生命成长做一个调查统计。他表示虽然他也很想做这件事情，但现在他还能联系上的孩子是少之又少。因为很多孩子走着走着就见不到他们的面了，因为他们的父母走着走着就消失在教会里了。
最后，他提到不是某个人、某个事工可以成全孩子的事工，需要每个事工都发挥他的作用。他举例说，假如一位爸爸在男士营中得到造就，愿意做一个好丈夫和好爸爸，那他也一定会注重孩子的灵性教育；假如一位妈妈在女士营中得到恩典，把中心转移到上帝那里，她也会更加关心孩子的信仰生命；如果有人在每日的灵修中恢复了与上帝的关系，那他就可以得到力量，并且有智慧面对家人反对自己和孩子信仰。
故事|一男主日学老师的曲折信仰路与服事艰辛
The first time I met a Christian surnamed Zhang was in his office. Not very tall and slightly overweight, he didn't seem particularly skilled in conversation, giving off a friendly demeanor. However, once he started talking, he spoke openly about his journey of faith and his service in Sunday School, even adding a touch of humor.
Male Sunday school teachers are quite rare in the Chinese church, and Zhang is one of them, who has been serving for seven to eight years. When discussing his calling, he first shared his faith journey.
From a downward spiral of faith to restoring faith and becoming a core worker
Zhang followed Jesus at a young age, and in elementary school, he would go to church with his mother. However, by middle school, he no longer wanted to attend, as he believed there was no God and that humans evolved from apes. As a result, he would go out to play on weekends, sometimes coming home to eat, and other times eating at friends' houses. His mother rarely saw him.
The turning point came in college. According to his usual academic performance, he should have at least been able to get into an undergraduate program, but he didn’t even meet the cutoff for a second-tier school and ended up at a vocational school. It was at this university that he picked up the faith he had abandoned.
Church workers came to the school to conduct a faith survey, and he wrote down that he was a Christian and left his phone number. Later, he discovered that there were several Christians in his class who attended services. It was then that he started going to church with his classmates and began his church life, although his mind was still focused on developing his talents.
A few points shy, he didn’t advance to an undergraduate program. Then, the girl he was pursuing started dating another guy. Yet God never left him and did a renewing work in his life during his most difficult times. "During that time, I just liked going to fellowship meetings and participating in prayer meetings. Later, I started reading the Bible and the Holy Spirit began to transform me. I participated steadily in fellowship service, becoming a small group leader and a core worker," he said.
Rejecting the call of full-time ministry
After graduating from college, Zhang worked for a while before joining the church where he currently serves. He clearly remembers the moment he was called, but he admitted that he didn't "acknowledge" this calling at the time. He was determined to make much money, and his girlfriend (now his wife) also stated that she would not marry someone in full-time ministry.
After getting married, he went through many challenges. His father was diagnosed with late-stage cancer, and Zhang cared for him until his passing. Afterward, his wife’s attitude did a 180-degree turn, from opposing his full-time ministry to fully supporting it. And so, his full-time ministry began.
Before going full-time, he would play with the kids in Sunday School but didn’t need to teach them. This was simply because the pastor had once asked him which area of ministry he felt burdened for, and he "inexplicably" answered, "youth ministry." He explained, "From a human perspective, it was a mistake, but from a spiritual perspective, it was God’s special work."
He recalled, "Through this, God tempered my temperament. It seemed like I was serving them, but God was using them to shape my character." Zhang described himself as quick-tempered, easily getting into arguments when things didn’t go his way, but he found that being patient with children was important. However, he also said that this process was like Moses shepherding in the wilderness for 40 years—it was a painful, unforgettable, and yet deeply grateful experience. "I think during this process, it's not about whether you accept your fate, but about understanding how God is leading you. Many people say, 'My fate is determined by me, not by heaven,' but in reality, no one can control their destiny. The more you try to control it, the more you lose; when you let go, you find that God will certainly lead you safely through the storm without capsizing the boat," he said.
Challenges of serving in an urban church Sunday school
From going full-time to now, Zhang has been working in the Sunday School ministry for seven to eight years and has gained many insights into the difficulties of serving in this area.
First, parents focus much more on their children's academic performance than on their spiritual lives, and so do some Sunday school teachers.
"Parents definitely prioritize their children's studies and then consider their spiritual life. Moreover, when the two conflict, they will always sacrifice their children's spiritual growth."
He noted that nowadays, parents enroll their children in many tutoring classes, making weekends busier than weekdays. Sometimes, he would inform parents three weeks in advance about a three- or four-day summer camp, hoping they would reserve the time for their children. But still, some parents politely declined, citing their children's tutoring classes. Even more disheartening is that some Sunday School teachers, though they verbally express the importance of children's spiritual lives, still prioritize academic performance.
Second, after the pandemic, many people became accustomed to online gatherings and rarely attended in-person services, resulting in children seldom coming to Sunday School.
Zhang said that many families in urban churches are scattered across different locations. Before the pandemic, these families could attend services in person. However, since many got used to online services during the COVID-19 pandemic, they seldom return to onsite gatherings now. When adults don’t attend gatherings in person, it becomes difficult for Sunday School teachers to meet the children. For a time, even online Sunday School sessions were irregular, and children have a short attention span online. It wasn't until this year that their online Sunday School gradually stabilized, with two services conducted every week in the evening.
Meanwhile, some parents are reluctant to make sacrifices.
During the pandemic, Zhang consistently advocated that parents spend more time teaching their children to read the Bible and pray, and establish a family altar to lay a strong foundation for their children’s faith. However, many parents were unwilling to make this sacrifice. When they returned home, they either spent time on their phones or only asked about their children's homework and academic performance, without showing concern for whether their children were reading the Bible. Another challenge was that many parents themselves did not lead a pious life; at home, they only wanted their children not to bother them.
Fourth, Sunday School teachers lack time to do home visits and some parents reject visits, too.
With the current economic downturn, each person faces significant financial pressure. Sunday School teachers also have their own jobs and families, so sometimes they don't have time to visit children. Moreover, even when teachers do have time, some parents reject the visits because they feel it is not necessary.
Fifth, the impact of atheistic education on children’s faith can not be overlooked.
Zhang believes that atheistic education greatly hinders children's faith. Some children, who had established a foundation of faith in church when they were young, began to waver in their faith when they reached middle school and encountered atheistic teachings. Their textbooks taught them that there is no God and promoted evolution.
Some children would ask their parents whether humans were created by God or evolved from apes. Others had questions about dinosaurs and dinosaur fossils because the Bible doesn’t mention dinosaurs. Many parents also didn’t know how to explain these things to their children.
Calling on the church to pay attention to Sunday school
Zhang said that many people don’t care much about Sunday school because it is a high-investment yet zero-output ministry. Many children who attend Sunday School drift away from the church in high school or college.
However, he still believes that the church should prioritize Sunday school because some of these children might become pastors or missionaries. Even though some children may drift away, many of them eventually return to God. Moreover, children's faith is often stronger than that of adults; they believe God’s words with simplicity. When they face problems, their first thought is to pray, and they reflect on their faith.
He shared two examples. His three daughters once laid hands on his van and prayed for it to start, and it did start after a week of being parked in the cold winter for being unable to start. Another time, his eldest daughter had a fever and refused to take medicine to reduce it. Zhang was worried that her fever would worsen the next day, but she assured him that the fever would go down as she had prayed to God. The next day, just as she said, the fever was gone and left only a runny nose and a cough. After these experiences, Zhang began to reflect on his own faith. He realized that although he was in full-time ministry and had read the Bible more than his children with more knowledge of the belief, his faith wasn’t as strong as theirs. He then understood the meaning of the Bible's teaching that unless one becomes like a little child, one cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.
Furthermore, based on his years of ministry to children, he has observed that the spiritual life of children who grow up in Sunday school is largely related to parental influence. A Sunday school teacher may spend, at most, two hours a week with a child, and sometimes they don’t even see the child on Sundays. Although the teacher does influence the child’s faith, it’s not as significant as the parental influence. The amount of time spent together correlates directly with the level of influence.
Someone suggested he conduct a survey on the spiritual growth of children who grew up in Sunday school. He expressed that while he would like to do this, he can hardly contact those children now. Many of them have drifted away because their parents have also gradually disappeared from the church.
Finally, he mentioned that it is not the work of any one person or ministry that can fully nurture children's ministry; every ministry needs to play its part. He gave some examples. If a father is edified in a men's retreat and is willing to be a good husband and father, he will certainly pay attention to his child's spiritual education. If a mother receives grace in a women's retreat and shifts her focus to God, she will become more concerned about her child's spiritual life. If someone restores their relationship with God through daily devotions, they will gain the strength and wisdom to face opposition from their family regarding their own and their child's faith.
- Edited by Karen Luo, translated by Abigail Wu
A Male Sunday School Teacher's Journey: Faith and Challenges in Ministry
