“The world marches forth on the feet of little children.”
In the late 1700s, many church-goers in England hated Sundays! Sunday was the only day when children were not allowed to work, so the streets were full of excited and noisy children enjoying their day off! Churches were sometimes unable to meet because of the noise. People were upset.
Robert Raikes, born on September 14, 1735, was the owner and printer of the popular newspaper in town. His father had been the owner of the newspaper before him, and had given Robert the newspaper as his responsibility before he died. Robert wrote about these children in his newspaper, telling people that something had to be done! Children should not be ignored or left to entertain themselves on Sunday.
Because the children were forced to work throughout the week, they were unable to attend school. As a result, many English children could neither read nor write. From a very young age, they were driven to act like adults and join the work force.
Robert Raikes took the money he earned from the newspapers he sold, and with that money, he started a Sunday School. He became known as the “pioneer for the Sunday School Movement.” His influence still lives on today, as Sunday Schools have been started all over the world.
He asked only that Sunday School teachers be godly people who could teach these children how to read and write. Why was it important for them to learn to read? So that they could study God’s Word for themselves! Just two years after the first Sunday School began, over 200,000 children in England were attending Sunday School each week. Because of Robert Raikes, thousands of children throughout history have been exposed to the Gospel and become believers.
What do you like most about Sunday School? What do you learn?
2 Timothy 3:15 – And that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.