Family care and the Prophets

I have changed the wording so many times this week that I could fill an incoherent book.

Instead I’m presenting to you, today’s sermon by Rev Ross Pearce.https://highfieldroadcanterburyuc.org.au/assets/uploads/2022/07/HRUC-Sermon-31JUL22.pdf I can’t do better and it’s a fantastic example of taking these prophets, in this case Hosea, that so wonderfully wrote about the messiness of life, family life. Rev. Pearce without being explicit or using theological terminology that could isolate those living in this very messiness today that the prophets saw and used in allegory, beautifully points any reader to Christ.

The real gem, came after this delivery. We have a family worship space at the front of the church, next to the pulpit. After he delivered the sermon he turned his attention to those in that area, and engaged with them, exactly where they were. He did not ask questions about his sermon, he leant down and quietly asked what they had. He like the prophets, entered into their space, the messiness of their lives. Ross taught by example, entering into their space, their lives, their moment just as the prophets have that we cringe at everytime they come into the lectionary. 

Now there are two points I wanted to make regarding the Hosea readings that we have had today and last week. One is that they speak into the messiness of our lives, the very realm,  of every child and family worker. The second is that too often Child and Family workers/pastors, are thought of as theologically light.

 Practical Theology is often separated from the other theologies, but it has not always been that way. 

Child Theology taught us to look at Bible passages from the view of the child, Feminist and Womanist Theology has taught us to look at the effect of a passage on Females and female minorities. All preceded by Liberation Theologies. I am NOT suggesting that we create another theology, or lens to look at scripture. I AM though suggesting 1) that we don’t exclude the importance of Biblical exegesis for Child and Family studies, 2) nor should we exclude family passages from our preaching, because we are after all preaching into the messiness of life.

Blessings

Wendy L.

I am writing this on Wurundjeri land and wish to pay respect to all Elders, past, present and emerging.

If these thoughts have inspired you, please attribute this page. Thank you.

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SUNDAY REFLECTION: AFTER PENTECOST 6B-ACCEPTANCE AND REJECTION

Rarely do you find 3 RCL readings in the same week speak with a clear Children and Family voice, whether you look at the family dynamics in the first half of the Gospel Reading, or you look at the basic emotions of acceptance and rejection across all three readings; there is something that can speak to the heart of the child, or the child within or the child that was.

In the First reading 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10. Though we may not be destined for Kingship, who does not need to hear of the self doubt that David had in moving forward into his role of King, something God called him too as a child, every child, present, past or within needs to hear of that moment of self doubt because we too experience them. I remember the confusion of being left in charge of my younger siblings, and being totally unprepared to feed them, get them ready for bed, read to them, get their homework done etc in my parent’s absence, even though I had been trained from early on (by observing), on what I was required to do. In that moment of self doubt, I needed to be reminded that David, given a bigger responsibility than mine, faltered like me. There was no crystal ball to tell me that my siblings would survive that night, but in hearing this story of David, I can discover that it worked out in the end, the historical aspect of Bible story telling allows for future endings, which we cannot foresee in our own lives. Every child needs to hear that future, every child needs to know they are not alone in their doubt, every child needs to hear the story, and a reference that they understand, so that they can incorporate God’s story into their own lives. When talking at an emotional level of doubt we all can access the reading, regardless of age or educational standard, the story becomes universally or intergenerationally accessible.

This week’s Gospel reading (Mark 6:1-13) is again a complex collection of stories, any of which could stand alone, yet are packaged for us to consider together. Why talk about disciples and birth families in the same passage if not to draw something of the two concepts. This community of Christ, the disciples are juxtaposed against contrasted and validated by the traditional family. What is similar, what is dissimilar, what is being taken forward and what is left behind. I have read/heard some commentators raise the issue of the putting aside of birth family here as being opposed to so called Christian Values of Family First, but that discussion can not hold water, for as Christians we are asked to love God first. It brings us into conflict between social norm and Christian faith, and every family needs to be aware that this faith we are seeking comes with costs. Maybe it’s compatible, maybe it’s not? No child or family should leave this passage without understanding that it contains tension. How do we negotiate that tension without Judgement? A child sensing the tension, will also learn by observing the behaviour of the adults interacting with it, do not sell them short by giving them a value lesson that may or may not be incompatible with the life they live or may need to live? Families, Christian or otherwise are complex organisations and to simplify the passage is to belittle our myriad of experiences.

And every child, needs to hear the comfort of a faith that is built to give them strength and life skills. In Mark, they learn that you don’t keep pushing faith, you move on and keep going, how many children, present, past and within need to hear that it’s ok to step away from a situation, you do not have to win every argument, against every bully, or even do well at everything. And that in our Second Reading this week 2 Corinthians 12:2-13, that in our weakness God is strong. Because every child, present, past and within knows that they are weak, that there is a bigger kid, a large adult, a boss, a rival, but we have a God that is even bigger.

This is the Good News and it is for all ages, I want to encourage you that it does not take much tweeking to open out your sermons this week, so that present little ears can hear God’s message for them.

Blessings

Wendy L.

I am writing this on Wurundjeri land and wish to pay respect to all Elders, past, present and emerging.

Sunday Reflection: Hosea 11:1-11 and Hosea 1:2-10

Between last week and this week, if you have been reading the RCL First Reading often mistakenly (even by me) known as the Old Testament Reading, you will notice that there is a theme of parental images for God. Last week’s reading had very female images of procreation and childbearing, while this week the images of God are paternal. Both are used to describe aspects of the Almighty, not exclusively one nor exclusively the other. We see these strong images for God, and they resonate within us, either to our male or femaleness, and in reflecting God we reflect these aspects.

Gender issues at present, seem to be of importance in Australia. Diversity and unconditional acceptance are also being championed. Those involved in Child and Family Ministry know they live in this world where gender is fluid and families take many forms.  But sometimes the faith communities that we work in can appear isolated from the generalist views. Such communities would be shocked by my discussion of gender, their theologies may work a different interpretation of these pages.

So, how do we work in both worlds where the views are seemingly at odds with each other. We look at scripture and our practical deeds combined they are not separable. We get pulled and pushed from within and without, where our actions frame our theologies and our theologies frame our practices as we discern our actions.

We, are not alone in this, the Wesleyan Quadrilateral has been professing this for 300 years. The Child Theology Movement has been asking us to do the same in the last 2 decades.

Then we have these two passages studied Sunday about, offering God in female metaphor and God in male metaphor, and they are both God, God hasn’t changed just the frame from which we are working has, the way that we are talking. Both in the same book, book embracing us to have a personal relationship with God[1].  Gender indiscriminate. Yes, we can go out there and speak with the current society and even speak their language. A feminist view of God is still a view of God, etc. It is about how we open up to that personal relationship. If Jesus can talk with the woman at the well whose marital status was fabricated, we can stand with the multiplicity of family dynamics to encourage them into a personal relationship with God, regardless of their gender makeup or family misgivings, and then if we are not pulled apart we can stand with the congregation, our larger family and help them understand and accept in the way that we have been taught.

Families are not easy communities, ministering to families is not an easy calling. Getting the balance right is a tightrope act that really requires God’s input. Both, families and Child and Family workers need to know the person of God, in all its complexities and they both need communities that understand and can walk with them.

Congregations, don’t box your Child and Family workers in, give them a voice and let them use their training, which is practical theology, your congregation will grow in depth if you allow them to practice all their skills, preaching, theological study and care of the families, all the church family of your congregation.

There may also be less Child and Family Worker burnout.

Blessings

Wendy L.

[1]Renita J. Weems, Battered Love: Marriage, Sex, and Violence in the Hebrew Prophets, Introduction: A Metaphor’s fatal Attraction, ( 1995, Fortress Press,  Minneapolis) P. 33

Sunday’s Reflection: 19/5/2019 Stats, Stats and ??

Not only does the Northern hemisphere seem to be warming up with conferences interesting anyone involved in Child and Family Ministry. In the past few weeks we have had Orange, http://orangeblogs.orgin the USA, though generously available to anyone “upside down” who is able to be sleep deprived with live internet sessions; Messy Church,https://www.messychurch.org.uk in the UK, and InterGenerate 2019 http://www.intergenerateconference.com

USA, about to start. Such a collection of people and ideas involved in Children’s or Intergenerational ministry, is indicative of how important Ministry with children is now.

 

But there is something else emerging with the warming weather, a collection of long needed statistics.

MessyChurchhttps://churcharmy.org/Groups/319979/Church_Army/web/What_we_do/Research_Unit/Playfully_Serious/Playfully_Serious.aspx?redirected=1

were the first stats out of the northern winter, followed by the publishing of a paper in the Journal of Research on Christian Education on the Impact of a Paid Children, Youth or Family Worker on Anglican Congregations in England ://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10656219.2019.1593267?journalCode=urce20, and then the publishing of the data from the Gen On questionnaire completed by congregations, worldwide.https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0177/8392/files/Faith_Formation_in_Churches_Research_Report.pdf?160

https://www.genonministries.org/blogs/blog/update-experts-help-genon-envision-future-of-intergenerational-church?fbclid=IwAR2IMzaJsi70qPTOZqDRVYX5IdS5eDex-ydsqMn1XKnrne185HZDnFV4D-Y

 

Before we hurry, and we should with great excitement, towards the statistics, we should also stop and ask a few questions. It is important to be aware of the aims of the studies and where they are from. Does data coming from the Northern Hemisphere reflect the social realities of the Southern Hemisphere? What of these statistics is universal, and what are cultural? really must be one of the first questions we ask ourselves in the Southern Hemisphere. Also, we should ask ourselves Who produced the statistic? under what conditions? and we need to ask ourselves if we believe we would get similar results in our own culture.

Unfortunately, Australia lags with statistical research around Child and Family Ministry and there would appear to be several reasons for this. The first is that getting research trials involving children through values committees is harder, more complicated than in any other time in Australian history. Second, We don’t have access to data banks with the types of statistics required, though you can put in a request to https://cra.org.auor https://mccrindle.com.au/about/ to see, but as many Uniting Church in Australia have not replied to their questionnaires, there is little, especially Victorian data available. Also, to access what is available requires money.

When we combine with the Northern hemisphere our data is minute and makes no difference to the statistics. For example, only 32 Australian churches and 5 New Zealand churches are represented in the Gen On data, less than 3 %.

But it is Data, and I have been asking for data for a few years now, primarily because Ministers and congregations have been asking for proof of the need to move away from the Sunday School model that most church council members grew up with. Until now, all I and others involved in Child and Family Ministry, have had available to us is Theory, primarily borrowed from educational and spirituality theorists, and Biblical basis grown out of the Child Theology Movement. A form of theological analysis not encountered in the traditional form and structure exegesis.[1] and Child Theology a Theological Response by Francis Young in  Anvil Vol.35 Issue 1 https://churchmissionsociety.org/sites/default/files/wysiwyg/Anvil_Complete_Volume_35_issue_1_2019_low_res.pdf

Asking congregations to trust, to have faith in a new structure has been difficult for many. It has worn out many involved in Child and Family Ministry. I am not saying that the incoming statistics will solve our capacity to sell change, but that it is another resource available to congregations to help guide social and structural changes in the education of our young. But we also need to be wary of using data without due consideration and which may not reflect our cultural experience. And may I encourage more garden variety data of our own. And we have had some https://theconversation.com/new-research-shows-australian-teens-have-complex-views-on-religion-and-spirituality-103233

Dr Vivien Mountain, Children’s Prayer: Multi-faith Perspectives (2016, Christian Research Association, Nunawading)

 

Blessings

Wendy L.

[1]Bunge, Marcia J. (ed), The Child in the Bible, (2008, William B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids)

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY’S RCL READINGS FOR THE 4TH SUNDAY IN LENT

This 4^thSunday of Lent is an abundance of RCL (Revised Common Lectionary) readings that are wonderful for Intergenerational faith formation, or children and family ministry.

 

So why Intergenerational Faith Formation, because these readings can easily be understood by all making them easily fit the definition “spirit of God is at work formatively-through the community’s worship, through the teaching, modelling and mentoring relationships, and through spiritually empowered and gifted roles –in special and unique ways when believers across the lifespan are present and participating together” [1]

And why Child and Family Ministry, because it is ministry to families especially where children are 18 years of age or younger, which includes equipping them to live out their faith with their children, which is important because faith formation infamilies has been shown to have the largest, and lengthiest influence.[2]

 

Of this week’s readings, the most obvious is the Gospel Reading, from Luke 15:11-32, often labelled as the Prodigal son story. This story can be interpreted in many ways and from many perspectives, it can be understood by the most literal of learner, and dissected by the most academic of minds.

 

I find it interesting during my own reflection on this reading that this year I am thinking of the piece from the viewpoint of none of the mentioned players but wonder what would the women in the family have been seeing in the story. Until now I had related to the oldest son, even though I’m female. I relate as the eldest, my younger siblings arriving and making greater demands on my parents. My feelings of jealously are expressed and possibly vindicated in this story. I then reflect not from my perspective as a Christian that came to Christ as a child, I see my confusion when others are embraced back into the worshipping community who have not stayed true to the faith. Have I been taken advantage of by my faith community? As I plodded on with my studies believing in a misdirected idea of “call”, I have watched others newer to the race find “callings” while I have not. Yes, I see a message in this story for this situation too. I am also understanding the theological depths of God’s love and Kingdom, as we bring to being God’s Kingdom on earth.

I’m sharing my thoughts on this passage, not just as a faith journal diary viewpoint but to express how intense this passage can be for one person, imagine this played out for many worshipping or sharing together.

 

How wonderful it is to be introduced to the notion that this passage can last a lifetime, that each 3^rdyear we get an opportunity to revisit and hear how others are travelling by sharing this story, and that each time we share it we can find a different touch stone to our own lives, faith community experience and theological experience.

To take this passage into our homes and share it as family devotion time too is a privilege.  As the lived reality extends into the week and our 24/7 lives is a wonderful opportunity, especially when Intergenerational Faith Worship is not a part of your faith communities worshipping experience.

But it must be shared, it requires an exchange of experience not a top down example of learning. So how can we extend that into our families worship time. Not everyone can speak elegantly, let everyone contemplate this passage their way.

SO Write about it,

OR speak about it,

OR build a Lego model about it,

OR draw about it,

OR create a multimedia about it,

OR  Sing about it.

And listen, observe, be open and share in a safe and valued manner.Who of us understands the totality of God!

 

But we are not done. There is another passage this week that contributes to Child and Family Ministry and Intergenerational Faith Formation, it is the First Reading, taken from Joshua 5:9-12. Passover. A unifying ritual of the wandering community. And as communities and families we too experience the importance of coming together. In Congregations, this is in the rituals of significant days such as Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Christmas, Annunciation etc. In families, we join for birthday’s, anniversaries, deaths, engagements, graduations etc. This coming together defines the community and reinforces the idea of who we are and with whom we belong. Create it, collect together and build family and faith communities. At home, start with a gathering of the clan, generational gathering on a regular basis, and if single or separated from biological groupings create your own, invite friends or possible friends, and don’t just stick to generational friends expand it out and invite the sticky nose from down the road for a meal too! and add grace, or a blessing or a reading to the agenda. Why be afraid of making a faith statement? Someone else may be wanting to do it too!

Blessings

Wendy L

 

 

[1]Allen, Holly Catterton and Ross, Christine Lawton, Intergenerational Christian Formation: bringing the Whole Church Together in Ministry, Community and Worship. (2012, Intervarsity Press, Illanois) p. 20. For a broader set of definitions see pp.18-21

 

[2]One such study https://www.barna.com/research/children-faith-formation/?mc_cid=5cc5ac3f1e&mc_eid=62335c3441&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

Teaching our Young

I am writing this in Canada, where my snow made family are enjoying the snow thanks to a prize my husband won from Mogul Travel.

As I am not currently allowed to ski, I snow shoe or wander my days away.

In fact I think I pray more on a skiing holiday, not just for my family though there is definitely a rise in requests for protection, but I pray for the people I encounter, I pray for the environment, I just enjoy long conversations with God about a whole heap of things that get pushed out of the way in the everyday.

But that’s not what is on my mind to write about today.

We have a room overlooking one of the ski runs and so from my vantage point I see the children being taught. Some are being taught by the snow school in small groups, the youngest starting out mostly on ski’s not boards. Most of the time the teacher/instructor is in the lead gauging out a path and showing the children where to turn. Others line the group up and ski down the hill a bit, then encourage each in turn to make their way down to the instructor/teachers side.Then there are the parents, usually with a single child in tow, some parents ski behind acting as a barricade, just fare enough away for independence but close enough to reach out in an emergency. Other parents ski with the child between their legs, showing them when to turn and giving comfort as well as guidance. Then there are the young boarders, usually in small groups, all encouraging and egging each other on. This group try new things, they are usually young or pre-teens, and I’ve noticed that when they spill or go down this group, eventually work their way back to their mate to check on them.

It also takes me back to when we first put our kids on ski’s, both were about 3, we taught them some basics, then had them skiing down little slopes or very big moguls, sometimes we were in front, sometimes we skied behind and other times we skied with them firmly wedges between our legs. We frequently went in for hot chocolates. And to warm up little fingers, toes and noses. But long before they were first on “planks” ski’s they had been up to Mt Hotham, where we ski in Australia, regularly since they were born. They were surrounded by other skiers, they heard the stories, knew the terms, One has the most beautiful technique, the other gives all she has got and every run is a race, against herself if no-one else.

I need to admit that we did better with teaching our children to ski than in establishing life long faith habits.

And this is what I really wanted to write about.

What if anything can we learn about teaching our young.

For one thing Christianity is not always caught it is taught, but teaching involves the everyday moments. It involves hearing the stories, being regular, listening to the enthusiasm of those involved in faith. Some might call this organic.

It involves finding the learning method that suits their age and stage. Erikson’s and Piaget’s theories point us in those directions.

They need space to practice on their own, Montessori’s theories support this observation.

They need to be shown different ways too. Our five learning methods show that we need a spread of different experiences to find our best learning style.

Studies are showing us that this new generation of youth want to be connected to the larger picture, not isolated as a seperate body of learners.

We need to practice our faith at home using multiple methods to help our children find their best faith expressions.

We need to stay connected to faith communities that can encourage us and them.

We need to live our faith, and show them how they can live theirs.

Yes there is a lot to learn from skiing!

Blessings

Wendy Lewis

Blue Christmas and Children

I would like to encourage you to think of a Blue Christmas service for Children.

Though I do believe that it is entirely possible to hold an all age or Intergen Blue Christmas, there are occasions when holding a separate service may be an option.

This is likely where the congregation is older and more familiar with a traditional liturgical tradition, or where they still have the mindset that children should not be at funeral’s.

Adults who need a familiar space in which to do their own grief work, may find the presence of children, too difficult for an adult mourner to deal with. On the other hand the presence of children can open us up to possibilities beyond ourselves and move us forward in grief too.

A grieving adult in the throws of an anger phase (a normal stage of a grief response) may actually be a danger to child, and it is best if the two developmental stages are separated, or that you have the expertise within the congregation to deal with the effects of an adult’s anger outburst at a child. Therefore, people trained in child development and anger issues would need to be available. I know that all congregations cannot afford this type of expertise nor are they blessed with that type of experience within the congregation.

 

Though children experience the same grief stages as adults, they experience them in short burst over longer periods of time and tend to revisit the grief process at each new developmental stage. Thus, you cannot say that a child has moved on from grieving, so giving many opportunities throughout a child’s life to revisit the grief can be beneficial. Many adults though may not understand that a child is thinking about a death in a different way 5, 10 years later, and as most Blue Christmas services are held explicitly for those who have experienced a loss this year, children may already be out of the intended audience for this service, purely because their loss doesn’t fit in the calendar time frame.

 

Giving children an opportunity to learn how to grieve within a Christian context is important. If we do not allow them the space to phrase grief within the Christian story, what other influences are we allowing to take its place?

 

If you are open to a Children’s Blue Christmas, there are a wonderful collection of resources available to you.

You will find books with a grief theme at http://www.picturebooktheology.com/search/label/grief

Don’t forget that obvious favourite such as The Very Hungry caterpillar, can be useful too.

and

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj1YJLYkML0 Old Pig by Margaret Wild

OR My favourite colour is Blue, Sometimes by Roger Hutinson https://paracletepress.com/collections/grief-resources/products/my-favorite-color-is-blue-sometimes

And books about Grief https://www.grief.org.au/ACGB/Publications/Online_Shop/ACGB/ACGB_Publications/Online_Shop/Bookshop.aspx?hkey=5e75df31-a372-4086-baaf-90eac9b7ddbb

Be sure to use craft resources, such as Christmas tree decorations to make, as a physical reminder of the person/or animal that they are missing.

 

Or draw black pictures, (black texta, charcoal, crayon etc, on black paper) or use black wash over bright papers that can be scratched back to find a picture.

 

Use the emotions of the Psalms, try Rev, Purdies versionshttp://www.conversations.net.nz/psalms.html  of those that show loss.

 

Use, emotional cards such as those from St Lukes  Innovative Resources https://innovativeresources.org/resources/card-sets/the-bears-cube/ or https://innovativeresources.org/resources/card-sets/stones-have-feelings-too/

to check in on how they are feeling throughout the service.

 

Validate whatever emotion the child has. Don’t force them to be anything other than what they are, but also be mindful that caring about other’s feelings is important too.

 

Listen to music that has a sadness about it, some jazz, or classical tracks are perfect for this, just make them short snippets, a 2 hour concert is beyond our children’s concentration!

 

References

https://hope4hurtingkids.com/help-centers/grief/

https://kidshelpline.com.au

https://www.grief.org.au including https://www.grief.org.au/uploads/uploads/ChildrenandGrief(Pre-school).pdf

Click to access ChildrenandGriefPrimary%20School).pdf

Click to access Adolescents%20and%20Grief.pdf

 

Don’t forget that a loss, may not be a death.

If you want a complete liturgy, please contact me.

Blessings

Wendy L.

 

What does a Quokka have to do with worship?

Please meet our Quokka

a toy version of an Australian marsupial http://www.natureaustralia.org.au/celebrating-australia/meet-the-quokka/

You may well ask “what are you showing us that for?  then even ask ” But he belongs on the other side of the country anyway?” if you know a little something about Quokka’s and where I write from, Melbourne, Australia.

He is our latest attempt to satisfy Church Councils Outreach objectives.

I have been working with an amazing group of people, everyone blessed with a different skill set, but everyone focused on finding ways to engage the community in which we live. They are also unique in that they all implicitly have an understanding of spiritual formation.

My favourite book  on  Children’s Spirituality is one by Rebecca Nye ( Children’s Spirituality- What is it and Why it matters, 2000, Church house London). It explains why such a diverse bunch as our group could understand it so well, even when being blessed with very different skill sets. And though Nye differentiates Adult spirituality as being about particular experiences (p.7) and children’s as being more holistic (p.8), she does concede that they are connected in two ways, “first, a key task for adult spiritual maturity is to “become like a child” —–Secondly, children become adults and so carry forward their spiritual formation.(p.11). Speaking for my self I would be honoured if you think I’m spiritually “Childish”.

So though Methodism started with an outreach to the worker, we, in what could be defined as an “affluent suburb”, saw our mission as reengaging the community with the idea of worship. The thing that is missing from their lives.

Don’t get me wrong we do participate in some traditional forms of mission. But we have a steady stream of community who use our facilities everyday for everything other than the purpose they were built for, too worship.

Now I don’t think Quokka, chosen because he is Australia’s most photogenic marsupial, after a few alternative suggestions, can do that on his own.

We have employed him to hold signs up around the sanctuary during the week to educate anyone curious about what happens in that space.

Here is our Minister in one of the signs In Church Pulpit, I have his permission to use this one (that’s trust!). We have used simple words and a picture of the area of the church in use, so that all may understand.

We have also used the signs to make a book.

We have created a families worship space at the front of the church, and are creating a children’s activity space in the foyer, where caregivers who feel that they need to leave the service can go, and where our youngest visitors during the week will always be welcome to read, play or rest.

Many of our parishioners, take the time to smile or say hello to those that use our facilities, we have a new website, multimedia slide presentations. We have a fountain made for an anniversary by the children of the congregation that attracts all visitors.

We don’t have a child and family minister, ( just an ex one).

We are still a missional church our outreach audience and methods are a little different, that’s all. But hey, wasn’t Jesus, a little different too, and encouraging of the children in the communities he preached! We hope that we have followed in that.

So what is your mission, and how does that include children’s spirituality.

Blessings

Wendy L.

If we do it – will they come?

My home congregation is ageing, but does that mean that just because at present the youngest are not part of our congregation that we should not prepare as if they are?

It is so frustrating preparing elements of worship that are not going to be fully utilised, so it is easy to see that congregations would just give up, expecting that they could spend their time on something really useful, rather than being prepared for something or someone that doesn’t appear.

But as soon as I think along those lines or hear others proclaim them I immediately hear the story of the bridesmaids in Matthew 25: 1-13, and remind myself to be ready for even the youngest child to have an opportunity to have a faith experience.

Because they will, find their way into our aging congregation. They might be bought  by Grandma or Grandpa, they might be visiting friends or family in the area, or they might be new to the area and checking out the local churches.

I have even been involved in congregations that claim they have very little young children, but what they mean is that they don’t have them every week. Yet when things are provided for children and families in worship their regularity has increased, prompting the congregation to wonder “where have all these children come from”

Sometimes it doesn’t take very much, the creation of a families space, near the front of the sanctuary. Some quality Christian story books, or quiet clean and safe toys. Some children’s bibles and work sheets or colouring in sheets on the readings or theme of the day. you might like to try https://www.illustratedchildrensministry.com or https://www.childrensbulletins.com/default.aspx, which can be downloaded and printed on the day, depending on the number of children you have present. Don’t forget to have pencils or texta’s that are sharpened or working.

Allocate an Elder or volunteer who will welcome any family when they arrive, and help them settle in, or understand the service.

You might also look at having a change table in the toilets, and some safe steps or children’s toilet seat. Just in case!

Blessings

Wendy L

Communion as a place for Intergenerational learning and acceptance

My two favourite stories come from some of the youngest members in my care.

The first story is of a newly minted toddler, two weeks earlier she was a crawler, easily picked up by her parents when ever she moved out of range, and bought back to the fold.

Now she had disappeared. In any church a missing child is a concern but to an inner city church, a thousand awful  possibilites crossed my mind.

While some of us searched, and the concern was starting to swell forward from the rear of the church, communion was going on. Where did we find her, sitting at our Minister’s feet, waiting patiently for her “errant” parents (that seemed to be the look on her face) to join her so she could have communion.

The second was another slightly older child, who took to serving “communion” to his parents at the start of each meal.

These children regularly, every second week, participated, along with the other members of our congregation in Communion, which was an open table for “all who love Him, and those who want to love Him more”.

This truely intergenerational regular moment, was a true embodiment of remembrance of and for Christ.

Everyone who wanted to be was involved. Even Baby’s in arms were blessed,

Communion elements went to all, including the children.

It was a regular occurrence, meaning that even the most time pressured of parents, managed to participate regularly.

Children demonstrated, through their behaviour that they understood how important this event was, and that they wanted to be a part of it.

Adults allowed them to participate equally. Making space for families to be together, and not excluding the children.

Not every congregation has the capacity to frequently include communion, though some manage it every week.

Not every denomination, allows for an open table.

To me it seemed the most inclusive, intergenerational moment.

I am curious if others have had similar experiences. Or have other experiences of inclusivity.

Blessings

Wendy L.