Education Sunday theme is Come and See

The Methodist Church’s interest in education is not just a matter of faith schools and colleges. For many Christians, their engagement with the world of education can best be explained in terms of a sense of vocation in which teachers, administrators and others seek to be followers of Jesus. Hardly surprising when we encounter the inspirational model of Jesus the teacher. The focus of Education Sunday this year is “Come and See”, the challenging invitation that Jesus issued to his earliest disciples to learn more about Him.

Graham Russell, Chair of the Ecumenical Steering Group responsible for preparing this year’s material says: “Today we are still asked to recognise and respond to Jesus. To come and see, but also to go and tell. As we celebrate education, we look to be attentive to Jesus’ teaching and the impact of living out his example in our lives. We remember the gift of teaching and learning that sustains communities around the world as they grow from generation to generation”.

For well over a hundred years there has been an annual recognition in England and Wales of Education Sunday as a “special” Sunday, a national day of prayer and celebration for everyone in the world of education. The resources that have been prepared for those planning worship for this occasion have been sent to many congregations and schools. They are also available through many church and ecumenical websites. The aim of Education Sunday is to encourage congregations to think prayerfully about the world of education in all its aspects, and the countless people who are involved with it.

The resources are available from our website: www.educationsunday.org

Source; www.methodist.org.uk/news 11/1/2008


It is possible to celebrate Education Sunday and the start of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity both on the same Sunday but I think it's a pity that they coincide because there is a tendency for one or the other of these important 'specials' to be neglected. Here in Reading we have cause to rejoice that, after three years of all Christians in Greater Reading working to Regenerate Reading our prayers of previous years are being answered in a way that we never dared to hope! See http://www.regeneratereading.org.uk.