How often are you on the Sunday School rota? And if you’re the one organising it, how often do you expect your team to serve - every week, or once a month? For some churches, practical circumstances decide the answer. But where there’s flexibility, people often hold strong views on both sides.
It’s worth saying from the outset that the Bible doesn’t prescribe one approach over the other. This is a matter of wisdom, not right or wrong. So it’s helpful to think through the strengths of each model.
Serving every week
Some people believe there’s great value - especially for the children - in having the same Sunday School team serve every week (or at least as regularly as possible, with breaks during school holidays).
The main argument for this is consistency. When children see the same leaders each week, they can form stronger relationships, and leaders can get to know them more deeply. Teachers who serve weekly also have a clearer sense of what’s been covered before and how well the children are understanding it.
It’s a bit like school: no parent would be happy if their child had a different maths teacher every week. Yet we often accept a rotating Sunday School teacher as normal!
There are benefits for the leaders too. Serving weekly helps you feel more invested in the ministry. When you’re only on once a month, it’s hard to gain momentum or feel fully part of the team. Committing to one area consistently - rather than switching between Sunday School, refreshments, AV (tech), and welcome - allows you to grow in that role and find deeper joy and effectiveness in it.
Serving less frequently
On the other hand, there are strong reasons for serving less often - perhaps once a month.
For churches with a single service, or for parents of young children who can’t return in the evening, serving every week might mean missing out entirely on the main service and the chance to hear God’s Word with the wider church family. In those cases, a monthly commitment can strike a healthy balance between serving and being spiritually refreshed.
A less frequent rota also allows more people to be involved in the ministry, which can be a real blessing. It gives more adults the opportunity to serve, and children get to know a wider range of church members.
Another advantage is variety. Changing the team each week can keep things fresh and prevent routines from becoming stale. And let’s be honest - children’s ministry can be demanding! After a particularly challenging session, knowing you have a few weeks before you’re back can make serving more sustainable over the long term.
So, what’s the right answer?
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. The best approach will depend on your church’s context - its size, service pattern, and the needs of the congregation.
Personally, I’ve enjoyed both models at different times: serving weekly on a consistent team and being part of a rota that spreads the load. Right now, our church uses a hybrid approach, and it seems to work well.
The key lesson I’ve learned is to hold our preferences lightly. If I ever catch myself thinking there’s only one right way to do it, I remind myself - if it really mattered that much, Jesus would have told us more clearly!
