Easing pain and poverty, curing sickness, providing relief and shelter, clothing and education, elevating the dignity of women and children…we call it social justice. Jesus called it loving people. Jesus summarized the Christian faith by saying, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love God, love people.
In the 1700’s, education was reserved for those who had the time to educate their own children or the money to hire tutors to do it for them. Education was not compulsory and there was no public school. The children of factory workers typically worked alongside their parents six days a week, sometimes more than 13 hours a day. In 1781 in Gloucester, England, Robert Raikes saw the plight of children living in the slums and reached out to them with Jesus’ love.
In the home of Mrs. Meredith, he opened the first school on Sunday, the only day boys and girls living in the slums and working in the factories could attend. His goal was to rescue children from descending into the crime that surrounded them. Using the Bible as their textbook, he taught them to read and write so they could learn about Jesus. Within four short years over 250,000 children were attending schools on Sunday throughout England. By 1831 it was reported that attendance at Sunday Schools had grown to 1.2 million. Robert Raikes’ schools were seen as the first schools of the English state system. Sunday School began as the Church fulfilling Jesus’ directive to care for the poor. The impact of Sunday Schools fueled a movement of God throughout the world.
Today the Sunday School has the same mission—reaching children with the Bible’s message of hope and love. According Dr. Henrietta Mears, founder of Gospel Light: The purpose of Sunday School is to bring people to Christ, build them up in Christ and send them out to work for Christ.