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.
Integrating Children into the Worship
Life of the Church
November 2006
Most of our churches have a nursery for children
and sometimes a children's church program for our children to attend
while the adults are in worship. These programs can be very important
for the children, their parents, and even other worshippers. But there
comes a time when we ask these children to join in the "adult
worship," and it is not always an easy transition. Sometimes
they do not know what is going on. Worship is usually quieter than
the program they have been involved in and it can lead to some difficult
Sunday mornings in the sanctuary.
I am convinced that it is important for children
to be with us in worship as soon as it is possible to do so. They
are a part of the whole people of God and they make a contribution
to our worshipping life, as we hope we do to theirs. Most of us learned
about worship by being in the church service with our families. I
learned to use the hymnbook by following along with my parents or
grandparents sitting beside me. At first their fingers would point
to the words, but soon I was able to do it without help! It is one
of the ways we learn to use our Bibles. With practice, we can follow
along as scripture is read. Most children like to look at the book
that is being used even before they can read every word.
We also teach them to give as the offering plate
is passed to them (with a little help so it doesn't drop) so they
can put in their own contribution. If there are special hymns, songs
or prayers used regularly during services in our church, we can help
the children learn these so they can join in. For example, we use
the Lord's Prayer each Sunday, so it is important for our children
to learn the Lord's Prayer so they can pray with us. There are, no
doubt, things they can do during the worship service if they are taught
how. For example, an older child might be able to work with other
ushers to take up the offering, or a child who is a good reader could
read a carefully selected passage of scripture if we help him or her
practice with the microphone. I know of one church that invites children
who are taking music lessons to take turns sitting by the organist.
They always sat quietly and watched attentively!
These are only examples, but I think my point is
clear. If we want them to worship with us, we need to make sure they
are included as participants. That involves some teaching! Perhaps
it may involve some teaching of adults in the congregation so that
we learn to be alert to ways we can help both the child and the parents.
When children in our churches first begin to attend
the worship services rather than going to the nursery or children's
church program, it is not easy to find a way to make a smooth transition.
We want them to feel a part of the worship service, but they may not
all at once. It will take time and effort. What ways have your church
developed to help children make this important transition?
In La Crosse, our Board of Christian Education is
paying special attention to this challenge right now. We have several
children who have just begun school. Up to this point they have gone
to children's program during morning worship. We are now attempting
to welcome them into worship and also to teach them to be active participants.
So far we have taken several steps.
-
We are making the transition a gradual one. They
will stay for the opening part of the service at first.
-
We gave each one of them a children's Bible as
a gift at the end of Sunday School last year. They bring them
along with us when they come to worship. The pastor sometimes
reads one of the passages for the morning from "their"
Bibles.
-
We bought each of them a canvas tote bag and used
a Sunday School session for them to decorate the bag and fill
it with things they can use in church. (clipboard, paper, crayons,
pencils, etc.)
-
They are provided a page to work on while they
are there. There is some relationship to what is happening on
that day, or something they could see in the sanctuary. During
Advent we will include pictures of the Advent wreath and have
them color in the candles that were lighted on each Sunday.
-
We have done a children's story only once a month
before this transition time and the children came in for the story.
We are soon going to start doing a children's story each Sunday.
People of all ages from the congregation will be invited to tell
the stories so that the children become acquainted with these
adults and youth!
As time passes, we hope we will be ready to use some
other transitional activities. For the moment, things are going well.
They love the tote bags and bring them proudly to worship with them.
We know there will be challenges, but we are committed to working
with parents on this.
I would encourage all of you to consider ways in
which you can teach your children to worship with the rest of the
congregation. It has, I believe, the possibility of being a rich experience
for all involved.
