Don't be like your parents

This morning, I am concerned. Not the “where’s my phone?” kind of concern, but the “are we actually doing what God intended?” kind of concern.  

You see, we’re currently jogging (not walking, jogging) through Deuteronomy—a book I like to call “When God Repeats Himself.” And let’s be honest, when someone repeats themselves, it’s either for emphasis or because the listener wasn’t paying attention the first time. Spoiler alert: the Israelites weren’t paying attention.  

Then I get to Deuteronomy 11:2-7, where God specifically highlights that He is addressing the parents, not the children. Later on, He gives them a clear job description:  

- Teach my laws to your children.

- Talk about them while sitting, walking, lying down, and rising up.

- Tag my words on your clothes, walls, and gates. ^JNM

Now, let’s slow down before we miss something important. The Israelites had three generations at play in Deuteronomy:  

1. The generation that came out of Egypt (saw God’s works, yet doubted).  

2. The generation raised in the desert (grew up hearing about God’s works but needed reminding).  

3. The generation born in the desert (depended on their parents to pass down the faith).  

God tells the second generation, “Don’t be like your parents. They saw my works and heard my voice but failed to teach you. Now, don’t do the same to your kids.”

And that’s when it hit me—if believing parents actually did this, would we even need Sunday School and baby dedication services? Wouldn’t these things be happening at home, naturally, day in and day out? Wouldn’t church then be a place of equipping believers to go and do ministry in their homes, hustles, and hoods?

Now, here’s the 50 million Kenya shillings question:  

Who decided that guardians needed help raising their kids in faith? When did we start outsourcing discipleship to "Children’s Church" like it’s a daycare with Bible verses?

The Biblical Blueprint: Parents as Spiritual Leaders.

God’s original design was never for faith to be subcontracted to church programs. Scripture makes it crystal clear:

- Psalm 78:5-7 – "He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands."

  → The goal? That every generation trusts in God, but notice how that happens—through parents teaching their own children.  

- Proverbs 22:6 – "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

  → It’s a training process, not a Sunday morning event. Children don’t just "catch faith" by being around a Christian environment; they learn it through intentional discipleship at home.

- Ephesians 6:4 – "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."

  → Parents are the primary faith trainers, not just providers of school fees and chapati.

The Historical Perspective: How Did We Get Here?

Before you think I’m launching an anti-Sunday School campaign, let’s take a quick history lesson.

The modern Sunday School movement started in 1780s England, thanks to a man named Robert Raikes. But get this—it wasn’t even about teaching the Bible! Raikes was trying to educate poor children who worked all week and had no access to schools. He used the Bible to teach them how to read and write. ^FM

Over time, churches adopted the model, and by the 19th century, Sunday School had evolved from literacy training to structured biblical instruction.  

But here’s the kicker— early church history (1st - 4th century) had no separate "children's church." Families worshiped together, and faith was taught at home. 

So, while Sunday School started with good intentions, has it now become a crutch that makes parents spiritually lazy? Has the church unintentionally propelled a boat into the sea that was meant to stay docked at home?

So, What Do We Do Now? 

Instead of calling for an immediate “Sunday School Shutdown,” maybe we should start asking some serious questions:

1. Are we replacing God’s original design (family discipleship) with a man-made model (children’s church)?

2. Should we shift our focus from "keeping kids entertained" to "equipping parents to teach their own children"?

3. What would happen if Sunday School was a support system rather than a substitute for home discipleship?

Imagine if parents were trained to lead family devotions, answer their kids’ deep (and sometimes hilarious) spiritual questions, and model faith every day. Imagine if Sunday School wasn't where kids first heard about Jesus—but where they got to sharing what they were already learning at home.

Look, I get it—not every guardian is a Bible scholar, and some genuinely need help. But what if we stopped treating children's ministry as a RESCUE mission and started treating it as a REINFORCEMENT of what’s already happening at home?  

What if Sunday School wasn't a place where kids "learn about God" but a place where they "grow in what they've already been taught"?  

Maybe it’s time to rethink children’s ministry. Not to throw it away, but to restore the home as the first church. Because at the end of the day, handing your child over to Sunday School teachers and hoping they come out as strong believers is like dropping them off at the gym once a week and expecting them to become bodybuilders —it just doesn’t work like that.

So, what do you think?

Are we propelling a boat into the sea that should be docked at homes?