2009 Church Education Sunday: February 1

These worship resources are designed to assist in your worship planning for Church Education Sunday. On this Sunday we give thanks, pray for and emphasize the educational ministry of the Mennonite Church’s schools, from elementary through graduate levels.

The theme for this year’s education Sunday comes out of Lois Siemens’ recent experience as a graduate of Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary. During her first semester, a professor casually remarked, “If you decide to come back,” the professor said, “your identity will change.” Lois did engage the risks that are part of learning and did come back; and her core identity was changed to that of a disciple of Jesus with a new sense of vocation. This change of her life’s direction led her to wonder if learning could have shifted the way Jesus understood his vocation. Jesus’ encounter with the Syrophonecian woman, as recorded in Matthew 15: 21 – 28, suggests that this may be the case, and has therefore been selected as the focus of this worship resource. Lois is currently the pastor of Superb Mennonite Church, Kerrobert, SK.

Christian Education Sunday occurs on the first Sunday of each February. We encourage you to include this focus on the ministry of Christian education in our schools in your worship theme schedule.