I have been going through a real personal struggle these days. For a little over a year now I have been teaching the Sunday school class at my church for the 3rd and 4th grade kids. It was one of those things I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do but I agreed to because no one else would step up to teach. Do I think I am a good teacher… not at all. It is one of those things I prepare my less each week from the teacher’s book and my class never goes as I hope. I always have ideas but some how they never turn out as planned with the kids. Some weeks I have just one kid and other weeks I will have two or three kids. When I just have one kid at a time I have a great class but I can’t do half of my activities because it requires multiple kids. All of the kids are really great kids but when you put them all together they do become troublesome and I loss control of my class. They are at that I am going to do as I like age and I just don’t do well with controlling them.
Since October we have been doing a video series and we have been combining classes. All the kids from k thru 4th are in one class right now and there are three of us teaching it. Since it has been combined I have taken a step back and started going back to the adult Sunday school class. I feel like I am a Christian that is really in need of growth and the adult Sunday school class has always been one of those places where I find that growth and feel like I am being challenged. I noticed after I started teaching I started to have a disconnect with my growth as a Christian. It was hard for me because I felt like I was in a rout. The past couple months I have really started to feel like I am connecting again and the need and desire for growth has returned.
I have now been told we are going to go back to our own individual classes here soon. This would mean I have to go back to teaching. This is something I really do not want to do. This is why I struggle, I am supposed to be a servant to the Lord and do my part as his servant. I am not really actively involved in my church and teaching has been one of the ways that I contribute to the church as a member. If I give up teaching I would not be contributing as I should. If I keep teaching I am really afraid that my disconnect will return and I will start struggling all over again. I really could use any advice that any of you could share with me. I feel like if I stop teaching I am doing it for my own selfish reasons but I also feel like if I don’t stop teaching I am not going to grow with the Lord as I should.
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March 23, 2009
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About Me
- Nina
- Hi I am Nina! OK Nina is a nickname but I doubt you really care. I am 35 years old, married, two wonderful boys. Luke is my sweet gentile 6 year old and Thomas is my wild and crazy 2 year old. The two of them wear me out but I love everything about them. I hope you enjoy all our crazy adventures as much as we do.
10 Comments Welcome:
Nina, I have been exactly where you are now and if you feel like you need to be more spiritually fed then I say go back to the adult class. I have taught sunday school for years and I was to the point I was complelty burned out but felt like if I didn't teach then nobody would so I kept on teaching. I finally quit and am back in a adult class and each week I feel more blessed, and you know what those kids have a wonderful teacher now!!!
Put it in God's hands and He will deliver!!!
That's a tough one. Is it possible for you to consult with whomever makes the assignments and express your concerns about this particular teaching assignment and ask if there is a different way that you can contribute that will enable you to still attend your adult class? That way you could still fill some sort of assignment and be contributing but also be receiving the instruction that you need?
Here's my vote- Yes, God calls us to serve him, but at different times and in different ways. Perhaps God is done using you to teach (for now), and that is why he has given you the desire to stop. You can serve God in another way now.
Hope that helps? Tough question!
If what you would be feeling is resentment and unhappiness, then it doesn't sound like that is the role you should have. Like Heatherlyn says, I think that there is bound to be some form of contributing which would work for both you and the church.
i'm sure youre already praying about it. maybe God is letting you know in his way that this just isnt for you. you will make a bigger impact if you are excited and passionate about what you're doing. so maybe you should be doing something else.
It is hard...is there a way you could do it that would make it more enjoyable? Maybe if you had a co-teacher?
I haven't taught Sunday School in a long time, but I work in a helping profession and I know this: if you don't take care of yourself first, you can't take care of anyone else.
Our pastor recently did a sermon about blessing. He said that God fills us to overflowing so that we can minister out of the excess. If there is no excess, we can't minister.
I'll pray that God helps you figure it out. I know it is really hard when you feel that others are counting on you.
Place it in Gods hand and pray about it but if you feel that you need to be in adult class then maybe that is where you need to be
Fulfilling self-impossed obligations will not mean anything if you are not maturing in Christ. Pray about it and really listen to where God wants you. You'll know when you hear his reply :)
I gave your wonderful blog an award - go check it out!
http://iblamemom.blogspot.com/2009/03/blog-awards.html
i teach sunday school and we do the co-teaching at my church and that way I get to be in the adult class every other week. ask around the church and see if there is anyone who would do that or ask the superintendent of your church to appoint someone to help you.. just explain to him that you did with us.
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