“This my 48th year of teaching,” said John McCool of Butler Township.

After finishing 35 years as an elementary school teacher in the Butler School District, McCool did not stop teaching. More than 13 years ago, he applied his skills to Sunday school.

“It's God's will,” McCool said.

He teaches for the Butler City Catholic Parishes Sunday school at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, 432 Center Ave.

Because he is a substitute, he works with groups of children from first to eighth grade.

“I'm 70 years young,” McCool said. “It's rewarding being with the kids and helping them learn a little bit about God. They're usually very enthusiastic.”

They are usually well behaved too, even if they are not always enthralled.

Although the teacher doesn't have to be an entertainer, he said, “It wouldn't hurt.”

That makes children want to come again.

“They need to laugh. They need to look forward to it,” McCool said.

“The fact that the parents get their children to Sunday school is encouraging,” he said. “I think it's very noble that they see the value in educating their child outside the public school.”

He said, “You can teach them some values. In the public schools a lot of times teachers can't really teach values.

“I think you have to be somebody who is very flexible because every classroom is different,” McCool said. “You might expect one thing, and it might be entirely different.”

He thinks if a child has a positive relationship with a grandparent, the child may have a greater comfort level with a senior-age teacher than the child would with a younger teacher.

For about 19 years, Ken and Betsy Wallace of Saxonburg have attended Community Alliance Church, 800 Mercer Road.

“We work with the 4- and 5-year-olds,” Betsy Wallace said.

She and her husband have been at it 11 years, and she said there are advantages to being older teachers.

“We have more patience,” she said. “Neither one of us gets upset easily. We just roll with the punches. Sometimes it's easier to work with children than adults.”

Wallace recommends it to other seniors.

“It's like having a lot of grandchildren,” she said. “I think when you're older it seems like the kids look at you like one of their grandparents ... It makes them feel kind of comfortable.”

The Wallaces used to teach every Sunday. Now they help the preschool teacher every other month will classes of 15 to 20 children.

“When you have that many, it takes three people. At that age they need more help,” Wallace said.

She said many places are just looking for someone to help the teacher.

“Too many people don't help because they maybe think, 'I don't know the Bible well enough. I don't know how to teach,'” she said. “You're learning it along with the kids if you don't know it.”

Wallace said songs, games and activities reinforce the lesson of the class.

“We both really love children. We look at it as a very small part in serving the Lord,” Wallace said.

One Sunday each month, Alice Taylor of West Sunbury volunteers in the nursery for 1- and 2-year-olds at Community Alliance Church.

“I just enjoy working with the little ones. It's fun to be in there once a month and see how they grow and get a few hugs and occasionally a few tears too,” she said.

Usually there are two or three adults and a teen responsible for six to 12 children. Taylor likes the opportunities to interact with younger mothers.

“I think it's a nice opportunity to make sure the parents can attend church,” she said.

With about 30 years' experience helping in the church nursery, Taylor would recommend that other seniors work with children at a church.

“As long as their health is good, I think they would enjoy it if they enjoy young children,” she said.

McCool cited more benefits of working with children.

“The youth rubs off on you. I think it makes you feel younger being around young people,” he said.

“Every time I do it, I learn things from them,” he said. “It's a more laid- back situation than the public school classroom.”

McCool learned an attitude of giving back from his family.

He said, “We as children learned that everybody else should come before you, if possible.”

McCool said everyone needs to think about putting others before themselves.

“The biggest thing is the feeling that you're doing something worthwhile with your time. You're helping others. You're trying to make the world a better place,” he said.