Yesterday was the Sunday to talk about the 3 wise men.
Saturday we had an interesting meeting about what was working and what wasn't. I found this interesting and it was a problem. When the older kids come back into the foyer to play, the younger preschoolers are usually still very engaged in the story activity they were doing with their parent and the migration disrupts their worship. But the younger elementary kids need to get up and move. (Our services run about an hour and a half.)
We've made a deliberate effort to keep most toys out of the foyer worship space so it stays a worship space and not a nursery/play space.
I've not yet read the materials about Godly Play but we did this. We brought in a big sheet full of stuff tied up with a bow with a spangly star on a stick sticking out and put it in the corner of the foyer to save for the sanctuary migration. I had at least one curious young lady teasing me to open it from the moment she saw me walk through the door but I insisted it was a surprise for later.
This week when our kids migrated from the sanctuary our preschoolers were done and we openned the bag. We had dress up clothes so they could dress up like wise men, gold ribbon to tie around their heads like crowns. Someone carried the star on the stick. They ran their hands through the box of sand and turned the sheet into a tent. We never got to the gifts or the baby in the cow's food bowl...they were off and running. And they were ready to head right back into the sanctuary. :)
I watched kids light up. I watched their parents light up. I even think the people in the sanctuary lit up and it was cool! Very cool! I think they were engaged!
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I'm excited for you. I have read about churches having worship together in a similar fashion. It is great to read about someone who is living this out.
ReplyDeleteWho is teaching the children in the back?
Ah yes, the million dollar question! "Who is teaching the children in the back?"
ReplyDeleteRight now our focus is on providing opportunities for families to worship together rather than splitting up families for nursery or Sunday school. There are lots of other facets to it but that's the heart of it.
We're also trying to think formation as opposed to information for the present, anyway.
Given the next four week series is on Song of Songs (not necessarily G rated) we will in fact be breaking back into the mold we were breaking out of to do more kid-appropriate activities in another part of the building... sigh...
I'd like to read what you've read about other churches doing what we're doing. I'm familiar with Solomon's Porch but when I canvased our particular denomination I only got one response and as it turns out they kept their nursery.
I'm hearing about special multi-generational services but not doing this every Sunday. So I'm curious.
Well I was referring to Solomon's Porch. Somewhere else I heard too...I believe it was something that one of our former ministers was sharing with me.
ReplyDeleteIf I find anything else, I'll be sure to pass it on.
I hear you on the formation instead of information. Did you say that you are going to the Children's Spirituality Conference?