by Diana Yu
My interest in Sonlight first started when I was thinking about serving in a ministry, a few months after becoming a member of the church. I was originally praying for a willing heart to serve wherever there was a need, with the understanding that the effectiveness of ministry and the work of the Lord was not determined by my contributions (or lack thereof), but ultimately by God’s sovereignty and grace. I had been keeping an eye out for opportunities to serve in the Sunday bulletin and noticed that Sonlight’s listing was in the bulletin for many Sundays in a row. Somehow, I finally decided to email Abe about my interest in applying. He asked me to observe a few times and to go from there.
The observations were a great opportunity to talk to the children and staff to really see what Sonlight is about. Through my observations, I understood that sharing the gospel with children and training them up in the Lord can be very different from doing so with adults. I realized that for the children, truly understanding the implications of the gospel and what they learn in Sunday school may not come until later. But I know that the challenge lies in faithfully teaching God’s Word to them, regardless of how much they actually understand. We have to trust in God’s sovereignty and power to use what He wills for His kingdom, especially when the fruit of our labor may not be seen (1 Corinthians 15:58).
The teachers’ love and care for the children was and is very apparent, and the complexity of the lessons surprised me. One of the teachers explained to me that the Word of God cannot be diluted just because they are children, but that the entire Word of God must be taught fully and completely to them because this is what believers are called to do. The children grasp more than I give them credit for. At the same time, a lot of it can look like rote memorization. That is why the power to change people’s hearts, including the children’s hearts, rests in the Lord’s hands. We as believers are simply called to plant seeds. The growing is left to the Almighty God (Mark 4:26-27). What a great blessing it is for them to know and learn about the great and mighty God at a young age! Even though their lives may not be very complex, the glory continues to go to God when they can witness and identify moments of God’s love in their lives.
After these realizations and through prayer, I wanted to be a part of these children’s lives and to show them God’s love. As Abram and Lillian put it, Sunday school is not about behavior modification because we want these children to see their sins and understand that they need God. That is why it is not only important to teach them God’s Word but also to show that love and care to them, as God has shown us. And one day, Lord-willing, if I were to have children of my own, I would similarly have to teach them God’s word faithfully and to love them in Christ-likeness. I know I will not be able to force them into becoming believers, but that it will be through the mercy and grace of our loving God that they will ever desire to follow Christ and worship God. I look forward to serving in Sonlight because it will be a good reminder of the gospel that saved me–that it is truly by grace I am saved. And that is a reminder that I should never tire of!