Others share stories about 2006 graduates

Kaitlin got to hold a bunny during one Sunday School lesson as she learned about all God's creatures.

Two Anne Carlsen Center for Children nurses are bringing Sunday School to the children who can’t go out to local churches’ Sunday classes.

Shari Johnson and Leann Irish get paid to nurse the children. They’ve volunteered time to run an interactive Sunday School class every other week for a few years. And their own children have become active planners and participants in the classes too.

“We started doing it because we like kids and our own kids felt comfortable here,” said Irish. “It’s their (ACCC students) right to get a religious education if their parents want them to have it, even if it’s hard to get them out to Sunday School programs. It’s easier to bring it to them.”

Many children aren’t able to go out to classes because of severe allergies and other medical conditions. “Us coming in creates a more controlled environment,” Johnson said. The classes average about 15 children.

Johnson is the primary coordinator, using online resources and getting ideas from the co-workers. “Sometimes I just page through the Bible until something catches my eye and then I go from there”

She tries to make lessons more visual so children can use touch and other senses. Children dress up in costumes to become characters in the story. They use puppets, music, and crafts to help the children learn the stories.

They bring a virtual farm of animals to help too. Johnson’s dog has become a regular part of the teaching team. Bunnies, cats, gerbils, and other family pets often round out the troupe.

When they shared the story of Daniel and Lion’s Den, a caged gerbil surrounded by a cat helped add a visual element.

Because they know the children so well, they are able to bring in adapted toys and games or use sign language or other communication aids to help the children participate fully.

“I know they like it a lot and the interaction is good,” Johnson said. “You need to look deeper with these kids because if you don’t know them, it’s hard to see it. You can just tell it in their eyes and even if you think they haven’t heard, through a touch or a whisper that God loves them, you know they’ve heard God and that they know.”

“Sometimes I think these kids are better able to accept themselves than the rest of us are,” said Irish.

The commitment Johnson and Irish make to the Sunday School program is from the heart. “Many of the staff are spiritual caregivers each day of the week,” said Pastor JoAnne Moeller, ACCC’s chaplain. “I see the way they are through their compassion and care. These Sunday School classes are an additional gift to the kids, reminding them who they are as children of God.”

Both Johnson and Irish say their greatest reward for the time they so willingly invest is a simple smile from the children. “One thing I’ve noticed lately is that a lot of kids that don’t smile a lot have been smiling in Sunday School,” Johnson said.