Inevitably, at this time of year, I am asked by at least several people about the meaning of Rally Day. When we advertise the beginning of the new Bible School year, we call the first Sunday, Rally Day. It is a day set aside to reassemble or “rally” after the relatively quiet summer of vacations, camps, etc.

In many Protestant churches, Rally day marks the beginning of the church calendar year. It typically occurs in September or early October. The customs associated with it vary quite a bit from parades and picnics to special church meetings where goals for the coming year are presented.

At Tenth, we use the first Sunday after Labor Day as our Rally Day to mark the beginning of the new church year calendar. So this year, it is September 13 – next Sunday! This day at Tenth is special primarily to the Bible School.

The Adult school begins the fall term with a new selection of classes and topics. This fall, we will have 12 classes, all described briefly in the Bible School brochure.

The children and youth Bible School (called the Undergraduate School) makes a bigger splash on this special day. The 3-year olds up through 6th grade begin their day in Fellowship Hall with a special speaker. This year, David Householder, one of our global workers, will demonstrate his gift of ventriloquism. He is entertaining and edifying to both children and adults.

After the speaker, the children then divide by classes and they, along with their parents, meet their new teachers for the year. It is at this time that children are given their memory work booklets for the year and parents are given a description of the year’s work ahead and the key points of the curriculum.

If you are a parent, a child, an adult, or really anyone at all, I hope you celebrate Rally Day this Sunday by attending either our special children’s event in Fellowship Hall or one of the adult classes we offer.