Christian Education
CEWeb
Welcome
to the Christian Education page of the American Baptist Churches of
Wisconsin Website!
This online
resource will serve as a forum to share ideas, get information and
the like.
Please share the Web address for
this site with Christian Education workers in your church. I would
also invite you to offer
suggestions of things which would make the site useful to
you.
Children: Part of the Worshipping Community
May 2009
Imagine that you are standing at the back of the sanctuary of your church during a Sunday morning worship service. You have been thinking about the children and youth in your church and wondering how well you are doing in nurturing faith through worship. Your Christian Education Board often discusses the nurturing of faith through learning and that is very important. But worship is also an important part in the formation of a life of faith for everyone, including children. What do you imagine you would see? Would there be children at all or would they be in another place altogether during worship? You may see some singing a hymn alongside their parents. The parents may be showing them how to find the right page in the hymnal and then how to follow the words. Some may be drawing pictures or reading a book. Some may be looking around and others may be looking at the person/s speaking. How do you determine whether or not they are hearing and understanding what is going on? There is no doubt that what goes on in most worship services is more structured and formal than the programs planned just for children. There is also no doubt that more things are based on listening than on using the other senses. Children still learn best by using more of their five senses (seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, tasting). Is it a lost cause, or can we help them make a transition to being a part of the worshipping community? I think we can, and I think it nurtures the faith of all parts of the community of faith when we share in this experience. Let me make just a few suggestions of things you might want to think about to help children make this transition. I will make these suggestions based on two questions: “How can we encourage them to listen and understand what is going on?” And “What are some ways we might include them in the worshipping life of the church?”
How could we encourage them to listen and understand what is going on?
- Encourage the use of the other senses in “listening.” For example, draw a picture of what the Scripture passages say or write in a sentence or two what the message of a hymn/song is.
- Print the page numbers of the Scripture lessons in the bulletin so they can find the passages with ease and can follow along. Or encourage parents to help them locate the passages before the service begins.
- If you print the words on a screen, make the print large and don’t put too many words on one page. It helps to add pictures or color to the screen, too.
- Give them things to look for or listen to during the service. Perhaps the pastor would be willing to prepare a few questions that they would find answers to during the sermon.
- Make certain they have paper so they can write down questions they might have. And then be certain the questions are addressed after the service!
- A dramatic presentation also encourages listening.
- Talk to them about the things they have seen. I have found that it is often helpful to develop a unit to use during children’s church for those who will be “graduating” from that program. Then you can prepare them ahead of time.
- Have them begin by being in the service for a short time. Encourage them to see this as a special time. Make certain you include special things such as communion and baptism in the time they are there. It is not uncommon for youth to reach the time when we think they should be thinking about being baptized and to learn that they have never seen a baptism!
What are some ways we might include them in the worshipping life of the church?
- Encourage them to give by passing the offering plates to them so they can put in their own contribution.
- Teach them the special hymns or prayers used during your worship service. For example, if you use the Lord’s Prayer make sure they learn it during Sunday School or some other designated time so that they can participate.
- Include a young person as an usher each Sunday. Make certain they know what is expected of them!
- Choose a good reader to read the Scripture from time to time. Do have them practice with the microphone so that they can be heard.
- Encourage those who have musical gifts to use them during the services from time to time, either individually or in groups.
- When our worship leads us out of the church in service to the community (food bank, soup kitchen, community garden, etc.) include the children!
I am certain you can come up with many more ideas that will fit your context. The important thing is that we consider this an important part of the developing faith of all of us, regardless of age. Let me remind you that most curriculum material which we might use in our church does very little with worship because it is designed for many different settings. That is one of the educational components we need to add.
I would encourage you to do more than imagine yourself standing in the back of the sanctuary. Try it out and see if there are ways you can expand this part of your children’s ministry.
Rev. Maxine Ashley
Staff Associate in Christian Education
Christian.Education@abcofwi.org
