A regular reader of the GRACE Writes blog sent a question. She’d like some advice from readers of this blog to the situation she describes below. This person is in her first ministry position out of seminary and serves as a pastoral associate in education. The issue she describes is a common one. In fact, just this past week I was talking to another recent seminary graduate who was interviewing for a job in a church with a similar situation. Here is the question:
We are beginning our second year of Sunday school in September. I have been working on ways to get the children and teachers excited to make the class their own and celebrate what they learn and produce. Unfortunately, we are limited in space. The church rents two floors of the education building to two pre-schools who “own” the rooms and hallways. It’s like we are borrowing space from them. We are not allowed to display any materials or decorate the rooms in any way or display anything in the hallways that lead to their classrooms. I have one bulletin board right next to my office where we can display work. With no space to make our own, are there other ways that you have encountered that will make Sunday school our own?
What do you want to share with this reader?
Questions to ponder:
- Have you encountered similar situations in your ministry or church setting?
- How have you dealt with space issues for Sunday school or other educational programs?
- What advice can you give to this staff person about how to handle the situation?
- Are there hazards or potential land mines when dealing with these situations? What are they?
- What is the importance of “space†as an issue here?
- Have you successfully dealt with a similar situation? How did you manage it?
- Have you ever gotten burned trying to deal with territorial issues related to space or programs? Share your experience and what you’ve learned.
