(From a sermon Delivered by Charles E Wainwright 28 November, 2010)
For years, the children of First Parish Church have engaged in a weekend ritual that represents the very essence of a childhood family rite: They attend our Sunday school. Our Religious Education Director, Deb Sweet is the latest in a long line of education leaders engaged in a pioneering America institution. Our children perpetuate, through their participation, a tradition that is 200 years old this year and that began within this Church. The bronze plaque on my left testifies that our Sunday school, established in 1810 is the oldest continuously operating Sunday school in New England. At the back of the sanctuary is a banner that attests ours to be the oldest Sunday school in America. To honor its 200th birthday, I would like to take a few minutes to tell you the story of the First Parish Church Sunday [...]