A back-to-school shopping list

With the summer heat still in full swing, it’s seems almost too soon for kids to be heading back to school this month.  Many families are out and about searching for the best sales in clothing, book bags, and school supplies.  Yet, with all of the hustle that comes with getting our loved ones ready for class, we might consider adding a few things to the shopping list — such as developing a good work ethic, and building a strong moral and spiritual foundation.

We're all aware of the many challenges kids face today.  Just check the local paper and we’ll see stories about the baneful effects that drugs, crime, gangs, and so forth are having on young people, regardless of social status or economic background.

Sometimes these challenges can seem quite overwhelming, I know.  But I also feel they can be alleviated — even solved — when children are equipped with the proper tools of moral and spiritual instruction.

So, where can parents shop for these all-important "school supplies"?

Christian Science Sunday SchoolIn my view, Sunday School is a great place to start.

Many churches maintain Sunday Schools, youth groups, and similar activities for kids.  In the Christian Science Sunday School, for example, pupils learn as their first lessons the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, Bible stories from the Old and New Testaments, and the importance of daily prayer — invaluable supplies for the upcoming school year!

Sunday School isn’t a place just to hang out or spend free time.  It’s purpose is to help students realize their own limitless capacities for good, and to develop a greater sense of self-discipline, spirituality, and maturity as they begin to face some of the challenges that come with growing up — challenges they'll encounter on and off campus.

And as I see it, the great benefit of this type of education is that it can truly last a lifetime.  It’s something students can carry with them wherever they are — at school, in sports, with family and friends, and, yes, even into adulthood.  The proverb says:

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (read more)

Children have such an important place in today’s society.  Their natural innocence and purity touch the hearts and minds of adults everywhere and have an elevating influence that reaches beyond the classroom and into the community.

As families across the state gear up for the school year, let’s make a special note in our shopping lists not to forget the moral and spiritual education of children, and then we'll begin to witness the long-lasting benefits this can bring.

“And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.”  (Isaiah 54:13)