Justin Coleman, 6, and Nancy Tuttle listen to a children’s version of the creation story, read by Karen Rodriguez (not pictured), deacon of Bridge of Peace Community Lutheran Church in Camden, N.J.
Aniya Coleman gets something to drink at a free dinner before Bridge of Peace’s Tuesday night “Family Bible School.” Giselle Coutinho, pas- tor, and other members create their own curriculum and connect it with living in Camden, N.J., one of the most impoverished and violent com- munities in the U.S.
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Sirah Coleman (left), Hannah Watkis, Benjamin Watkis, Dinah Cole- man and Carlos Ortiz practice a “Genesis Rap” to be performed during Sunday worship at Bridge of Peace.
17 Tese approaches include:
• Equipping families to carry out rituals at home. • Combining Christian education with mission and service. • Incorporating faith formation into the worship service. • Holding classes during the week, rather than on Sun- day morning. • Creating curriculum. • Offering cross-generational programs. These approaches come at a time when Sunday
school attendance in ELCA congregations has seen a 60 percent drop between 1990 and 2010, according to ELCA Research and Evaluation. Church leaders cite a variety of reasons for the decline: • More competition, like travel and sports. “Te culture no longer respects Sunday morning,” said Diane Hymans, professor of Christian education, Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio. “It used to be Sunday mornings were for church. Now our kids are
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involved in all sorts of sports on Sunday mornings and oftentimes sports win.” • Fewer children. The number of married couples with children in ELCA congregations dropped from 41 percent in 1988 to 26 percent in 2013. In addition, child baptisms in ELCA and predecessor congregations dropped 52 percent between 1970 and 2012, according to ELCA Research and Evaluation. • Changes in the family. For example, children of divorced or separated parents may spend weekends with a parent who doesn’t attend church or who is a member of another congregation, Hymans said. In addition, more mothers work full time today. “After
working all week, running errands and cleaning their houses, they are exhausted by Sunday morning,” said Diane Shallue, adjunct instructor at Luther Seminary and director of Christian education and small group minis- tries at University Lutheran Church of Hope, Minneapo- lis. “We have more exhausted mothers who struggle to get their children up and off to Sunday school or church.”
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