Sunday School for Adults?

Adult Sunday School classes are rare in traditional Japanese churches, as also is the opportunity to ask questions and openly and systematically discuss a Bible passage. Nearly all teaching in Japanese churches, as in traditional Japanese education, is done from the top (the teacher) downward with very little student interaction. So it is with great excitement, and a bit of fear, that we begin our first ever adult Sunday school class at our main church tomorrow (Sunday, May 24th). 

We will be interactively studying selected questions in the Gospel of John using "In Quest" worksheets, working our way from 1.) the question(s) asked in the passage, to 2.) the answer(s) given therein, to 3.) personal applications of insights gained therefrom. In addition to directly learning from a passage in John in each study, the goal is also to train those in the class in the "In Quest Bible Study" method so that each one can continue to use such for themselves and with others in the near future. 

Until now this John material has been developed and used in our Friday TOA home Bible study and work-sessions, but this is the first time for it to be used in a Japanese Sunday school setting. The method, more than the material, will be new to most of the five to ten people expected to join this new group, as sermons from John's Gospel are common. 

The class may be a challenge because many Japanese believers are accustomed to listening much and speaking very little. Therefore many are also not used to thinking much for themselves. I believe this is one reasons there is a great shortage of pastors and prospective pastors for our Japanese churches. How can anyone discover and develop a speaking gift (1 Pet. 4:10-11) if they never speak themselves? Thus, this small class may be of great importance, especially for the men of our church. We may very well be without a pastor in another year!  (See a future article about this.)