Children’s and Youth Sunday School at St. Peter’s
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14). At St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Shaker Heights, we take those words seriously. Children are not merely the future of the Church; they are people for whom Christ died, whom He desires to receive, teach, bless, and keep in His gracious care.
Parents have been given the primary responsibility and privilege of teaching the Christian faith to their children. The congregation comes alongside Christian families in that important vocation. Through Sunday School, children and youth receive loving, Christ-centered instruction in Scripture so that they grow in their knowledge of God’s Word and learn to confess the faith that has been handed down through generations of Christians.
Teaching the Faith to the Next Generation
The Lutheran Church has always placed strong emphasis on catechesis because Christian teaching belongs in both the congregation and the home. Luther’s Small Catechism was deliberately designed to place the basic teachings of Scripture into a form that families and teachers could use with children. Its central topics—the Ten Commandments, Apostles’ Creed, Lord’s Prayer, Holy Baptism, Confession, and the Sacrament of the Altar—provide children with a framework for understanding the whole Christian faith.
This is not simply memorization for memorization’s sake. Children learn who God is, what He commands, what Christ has done for sinners, how Christians pray, and how God gives His grace through His appointed means. The Small Catechism’s explanation of the Third Commandment teaches Christians to hold preaching and God’s Word sacred and gladly hear and learn it. That habit of hearing and learning begins early and continues throughout life.
Centered on Jesus Christ
Our goal is not merely to produce children who know religious facts. We want children and youth continually directed to Jesus Christ. Scripture reveals the Savior who took our sins upon Himself, died on the cross, rose from the grave, and gives forgiveness and eternal life to sinners. Every part of Christian instruction ultimately serves this Gospel proclamation.
The Lutheran Confessions likewise emphasize the importance of teaching children. The Apology of the Augsburg Confession describes pastors and ministers instructing the young and praises catechetical teaching as fruitful instruction. For generations, Lutheran congregations have therefore understood Christian education as an essential part of caring for the souls entrusted to them.
Sunday School at 11:15 a.m.
Children’s and Youth Sunday School begins at 11:15 a.m. following the 9:30 a.m. Sunday Worship Service. Families from Shaker Heights, Cleveland Heights, Beachwood, University Heights, South Euclid, Warrensville Heights, and throughout Greater Cleveland are warmly invited to participate.
We recognize that parents carry an important and sometimes difficult responsibility in raising children in the Christian faith. St. Peter’s desires to walk beside families with faithful teaching, encouragement, prayer, and a congregation where children hear again and again that Jesus Christ is their Savior. We invite your family to worship, learn, and grow with us.