Friday, August 19, 2005

Jumping into the Unknown with an Ancient map pt 2

[Or maybe we're following an ancient map into the future?]

Part 2

Advantages

- P/G/can attend every worship service
- (hopefully) Moms will be able to participate in worship
-kids are close to mom (p/g) in worship (worship = a positive experience)
- opportunity for parents to model & teach worship
- children are immersed in a community worship environment
- requires fewer staff/volunteers/planning
-children can see/hear but not distract
-special worship space with freedom to be little
-children with snacks from home and toys from home may stay healthier?
-kids are close to parents participating in worship
-perhaps less threatening space for some adults
-easy to grow as attendance grows
-for moms who want to meet new people they're already in the foyer
-reminder of child-like faith, simple straightforwardness, curiosity, wonder
-as people mingle, less segregation
-reminder to all of us that we're children

Disadvantages


-not instructional/age appropriate for children
-the hope is to equip parents to share with/instruct their children

-having to recreate the space every Sunday
-those who help will get to know each other better

-moms/p/g getting frustrated or burned out
-talk to someone
-people looking out for each other
-taking turns taking communion or going in for part of the service

-moms/p/g feeling like they can't worship
-talk to someone

-moms/p/g feeling segregated or on display
-some people who aren't parents will also gravitate to that space and be worshipping with you
-if anyone's judging you they shouldn't be!
-praying for one another is good

-temptation to socialize
-socialize before service, after, during the meal, during the week
-minister to one another

-can we accommodate visiting extended family in the space
-you have the option to start in the large gathering and move to the foyer

- what if we outgrow the space
-we could change buildings
-we could use all the rooms like this if everyone's worshipping (an interesting thought!) with a couple of core people in each room...

-can we accommodate single parents or parents participating in service
-if we are a community looking out for each other, yes

-what about visitors who expect childcare
-they may chose to walk with us or not

-children being disruptive loud or arguing
-parent removes the child from the space and they return when the issue is resolved

Earning Priviledges and more
[saved for part 3 lest the blog eat this one too...] There were more thoughts about instruction before the blog ate the last one, examples and such. I don't know whether or not they'll come back ...

Comments?


1 comment:

  1. "using all the rooms like this" meaning with TV monitor. Although this wouldn't be the prefered way of worshipping together, wouldn't it be interesting to be someplace where every room in a building was full of people of all ages worshipping together at the same time, the same songs ... ? It's probably already happening somewhere...

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