Some years ago, a colleague of mine shared this story. My friend was at a local mall about three days after Easter with his wife, their daughter, and their five-year-old grandson. At the mall was a wishing fountain full of pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, etc. The five-year-old loved throwing in pennies and making a wish (who doesn’t like making a wish like that?). He took the pennies his grandpa gave him and he tossed them into the water. As he did so, he shouted his wish, “I wish that Jesus didn’t have to die!”

My friend, his wife, and his daughter were stunned by what the little guy had shouted. They looked at each other and at him, and my friend said to him, “Buddy, Jesus died but he came back. He lives with all of us in our hearts!”

The child said, “Jesus isn’t dead?” Then at the top of his lungs, he shouted, “Well, why didn’t somebody tell me!!!”

Indeed, why hadn’t somebody told him? The child had probably been in Sunday school three days before, but the story of Jesus’ coming back wasn’t clear to him. 

One of the most important things that children receive when they come to Sunday school is getting to know about Jesus: his love for them, his life of service, and his amazing life. And yes, his death and resurrection. And certainly, what adults learn when they take part in Sunday school or Bible studies is how much they are loved by God through Jesus Christ and how their lives can be enriched and strengthened every day by serving Christ with all the gifts we’ve received from God.

At Allisonville Christian Church, our ministry of faith formation is important to all of us, no matter what our ages might be. Supporting this ministry through our giving ensures that little people and big people can become more faithful disciples of Jesus Christ.

There’s a wonderful 19th hymn in The Chalice Hymnal about the stories of Jesus. You might remember it! It’s called “Tell Me the Stories of Jesus.”

Tell me the stories of Jesus I love to hear;

Things I would ask him to tell me if he were here:

Scenes by the wayside, tales of the sea,

Stories of Jesus, tell them to me.

Gracious and loving God who came to us in human form and showed us how to live most faithfully, thank you for the ways we learn about Jesus and you. Please bless our faith formation ministry here at ACC so that all might have confidence in your gifts of grace and love. AMEN.

~Sue and Don Call