In Louisiana Even Eastern Orthodox Doing Sunday School

Live the Trinity has a interesting post at Death and life to Sunday school (or) Catechesis!

He makes a interesting point as a Baptist pastor:
For what it is worth I now avoid the expression “Sunday school”. School? On Sundays? Yeah that will get people to come to church on Sundays. I prefer to say “(Sunday morning) Bible study”. Emphasizes that the purpose is to study the Bible. Helps get away from some of the latest-fad-book-study mayhem that one sees in some classes(? Sunday morning small groups?) at University Baptist Church.
However at this stage of my life I am convinced Bible study and nothing but is not the best way to prepare Christians to live for their faith. Bible study is crucial. But should be part of a larger whole that was around during the first centuries of the Christian church.
Catechesis.
What about theology? church history? missions? askesis? accountability? There are people at University Baptist Church who have been in Sunday school or Sunday morning Bible study – take your pick – for 70+ years. They know their Bibles pretty well. I have heard people say this to me in conversations. “We get tired of studying the same lessons over and over again”. They want something new and fresh and challenging and different. Often they continue to use the standard Bible study material but supplement it heavily with other topics and material. Yesterday I photocopied for a great brother in Christ a handout that outlines twelve different explanations for suffering in the world. It is one way that group of brothers keep things interesting.

As a former Baptist Sunday SCHOOL WAS HUGE. In fact it was not uncommon for me to meet some people that went to Sunday School and skipped Church as bizarre as that might sound.

Now I think that is a good point. Of course one reason why I think it is easier to stay with the standard format FOREVER from cradle to the grave is well you could be stirring up a hornet's nest dealing with other topics.

He then mentions this
Two days ago got together for coffee with a friend who is the priest-in-charge for a storefront Orthodox church. Half the congregation is converts/inquirers the other half is cradle Orthodox. He explained how the cradle Orthodox are not quite sure what to make of Sunday morning catechesis. Class on Sunday morning at church?
Vaht? Vee not do that in old country! Vee learn everytink from liturgy! Sunday morninks and festivals! Please to pass turnip soup!
This is a distinctly Protestant(?) practice – the concept of Sunday school is a Protestant invention – that Orthodox churches in America have borrowed. But it serves them well as a format for catechesis - formation in the Christian faith.
So on the one hand we have a Protestant church in Atlanta that says “Death to Sunday school!” On the other hand we have an Orthodox church in Baton Rouge that has found life in Sunday school although they do not call it that.

I find that very interesting. I have always thought Adult Sunday School would be a great thing to have in the Catholic Church. The only thing that has held me back was that a good bit of the Church was open rebellion it seemed for a few decades. In other word what would have been taught on a local level might have been far worse than teaching nothing.

However as more Orthodox Bishops and Priests have restored order it might be a good time to gently introduce the possibility of this concept in places.