Sunday School as a Mini Church: Reading the Ecclesiological Dimension behind the Children's Class
Authors
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Kerin Crisyofani
Indonesia
Sekolah Tinggi Teologi IKSM Santosa Asih, Jakarta
Author
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Jelita Sihite
Indonesia
Sekolah Tinggi Teologi IKSM Santosa Asih, Jakarta
Author
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62282/je.v4i1.49-62Keywords:
christian education, ecclesiology, mini church, sunday school, threefold task of the churchAbstract
Sunday School has generally been regarded merely as a learning space for children, so its ecclesial dimension has rarely been examined seriously in Christian Religious Education scholarship. This study explores the ecclesiological dimension inherent in the theology of Sunday School. It argues that the nature of the church as the Body of Christ and the people of God underlies the church's calling, commonly referred to among Indonesian Protestants as the Threefold Task of the Church: koinonia (fellowship), marturia (witness and proclamation of the gospel), and diakonia (ministry of love). This calling can serve as a conceptual foundation for Sunday School ministry. Employing a qualitative library research design, the study examines biblical texts, theological books, and recent journal articles through thematic content analysis and cross-source comparative reading. Findings show that Sunday School is not an activity supplementary to the main worship service but a concrete expression of the church as the Body of Christ and the people of God forming its youngest members. Through Sunday School, children are introduced to fellowship, trained to bear witness, taught the Word, and accustomed to serving others. The study contributes a framework of Sunday School as a mini church, namely the full presence of the church at the scale and in the language of children while remaining integrated into the congregation. Therefore, Sunday School ministry should rely not only on pedagogical-psychological approaches but also on a comprehensive ecclesiological awareness so that children are formed as members of the Body of Christ from an early age.
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