Family Sabbath School

What is Family Sabbath School?

The model school is the family school.

The family is the nucleus of society. When the nucleus is destroyed in a cell what happens to the cell? So in society when the family breaks down so does society.

So, to help families reunite and bring to the family unity, the Family Sabbath School can be a help. We have found that it is a blessing to everyone involved!

What is the system followed in the Family Sabbath School?

“The system of education instituted at the beginning of the world was to be a model for man throughout all aftertime. As an illustration of its principles a model school was established in Eden, the home of our first parents. The Garden of Eden was the schoolroom, nature was the lesson book, the Creator Himself was the instructor.”1

SonLight Education Ministry recommends the Family Bible Lessons for children from birth to eight years old. So in the Family Sabbath School we use the Family Bible Lessons to help families learn God’s system of education where Nature is the Lesson Book, The Creator/Scripture is the Instructor, and the Garden/Home is the school room.

How to start a Family Sabbath School?

• Begin using the Family Bible Lessons in the home.
• Share with those in your church how it is blessing your family.
• Visit the homes of families with children and ask them if they would be interested in using the FBL’s in their home. If there is an interest even from one other family ask to present the proposal of starting a Family Sabbath School in your church.
• There must be a dedicated leader to lead out in the Family Sabbath School. To start it and keep it going takes dedication!
• The same dedication is needed in the home!
• Keep it simple, but interesting.
• Make it a review of the main parts of the lesson: Memory Verse, Character Quality, Nature Lesson, Bible Lesson.
• Have lots of interactive activities not just a dry run through the lesson.
• Encourage the families that join to be preparing to teach when they are ready (usually after three or four weeks).
• Make a schedule for the quarter of the teachers so all know when they will be teaching. The leader of the Family Sabbath School may be the only teacher for awhile till more dedicated families join.

The Family Bible Lessons are the child’s school program from Birth to Eight

The Family Bibles Lessons take you through the Bible in a systematic way in three years. Then you repeat the lessons.

This course  is designed to lead families to:

• Having Family Worship together morning and evening.
• Learning to keep the children’s thoughts on God through all the day’s activities.
• Make the Bible the main text book.
• Help the child develop spiritually in the most critical period of their development.
• Re-educate the older children and youth, as well as the adults, in the methods of true education! True Education leads the mind/heart to having the mind of Christ! True Education trains the mind/heart on remembering God not forgetting Him!

We pray that you will be blessed as the Lord leads you in developing family unity by using the system of education developed in the beginning to make strong family schools.

May the Family Sabbath School be a blessing in your church and community is our prayer!

References:

1.  Child Guidance 294.2