Educating the child—spiritually

with contributions from Phyllis Pennamon, Becky Pennamon, Judy Huenneke, Stephen Huenneke, Meredith Harbur, Chris Harbur, Miles Harbur, Kitty Simms, Elizabeth Simms

Part of the work done by Christian Science Sunday Schools in the Boston area involves interacting with groups that serve local youth. The Parenting Publications of America is one such group. It coordinates regional family publications that appear in many places across the United States. The Sunday Schools have been privileged to work with the Boston chapter.
Next week, the regional chapter of this organization will be holding a conference in Massachusetts entitled "Raising the Whole Child: Emotionally, Physically, Intellectually & Spiritually." To support the work of this conference, the Sentinel spoke with four sets of parents and children and asked them for their thoughts about spiritual education and how it has helped them.
Phyllis Pennamon and her five-year-old daughter, Becky, spoke first.

Phyllis Pennamon: When I was going to become a mother, I started thinking about how my parents had raised me and what was the best thing they did for me. While my parents gave us everything they could, the vital thing was a love for God and the Bible. And they also saw to it that we went to Sunday School. They felt this was another place where we could learn about what was right and what was wrong, and about the Ten Commandments, God, and Christ Jesus.
We started attending a Christian Science branch church when I was twelve, and we learned something that was very helpful: that God is a very practical help to us in healing physical ills and any other problem that needs resolution. That's why when I knew that Becky was on her way, I wanted to give her this great gift, too. So it's a number one priority with my husband and me.

Do you see her developing spiritually through this education?
Phyllis: Oh yes, very much so. She uses what she has learned in Sunday School and what we have taught her. She brings a sense of love to bear on almost everything she does. At a parent-teacher conference, the teacher told us that Becky is a model student. And I think that comes directly from her spiritual education in Sunday School and from what we are teaching her about how she should act as God's child.

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Educating the child—spiritually

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