What? Vet School Open House?

Why would someone put a Vet School Open House on an Emerging Kids Blog? Why all the local resources and field trip ideas? Crazy? How many Christian Ed programs do you know who go on field trips? Service trips, yes. Let's-marvel-at-how-amazing-God-is-trips? Probably not. That's why I post some of the things I post - to get you thinking outside the box.

Maybe it's to make you aware that there are lots of opportunities out there to acknowledge how big and amazing God is with your children - sometimes in places you might not expect. How would you know God is there, unless you're there, too?

You can't be everywhere but if you or your children have an interest in something and you gather to do things that you're interested in with other people who enjoy the same things you'll grow friendships. Sometimes kids will end up with a career. Vet School Open Houses, Planetariums, Horticulture, Engineering competitions, Art exhibits, fishing derbys. Some of them cost money but not all.

The Memorial Art Gallery here is finishing up a quilting exhibit. [that link might not be current in two weeks] Local quilters did art quilt interpretation squares for some of the artwork in the gallery. Inspiring! I was actually starting to see artwork as potential quilt squares!

You don't even have to start a club, just latch on to one that's already going. Cheaper and less time consuming. You get to learn from more experienced people by just being around them and watching and asking questions. There are a lot of organizations serving youth in this city. Bring your interests and ask about teaching a class. Coach a Little League team or a soccer team. If you're in a fairly relaxed league I can almost guarantee you know more about baseball than most 7 year olds.

Out of the box in it's most simple form - Last Sunday we were recovering from a snow storm. A younger person who wasn't going to church helped shovel out an older neighbor who was going to church. She didn't share the gospel. She didn't say, "Come to church with me." She just kept lavishing thanks and blessings on that poor young soul after the shoveling was done and every time she saw the unlikely Good Samaritan over the next couple days. How fun is that? No, I wasn't the older person.

Whether we actually fall into the Emerging or Emergent school of thought remains to be seen.

Living things don't live very long in boxes.

[look at all those tags!!!]

Welcome!

[This site is now listed in our Artisan Church worship folder, thus the need for this special welcome. The Artisan Philosophy was posted 8/21. You should read that. Also realize (that if you return) you never know what you're going to find here!]

We've been using this site as a place to brainstorm our wrestlings about how to include our children in community worship in a way that will enable children and adults to interact with God (and one another) in meaningful ways.

We believe that children are capable of worship, able to interact with God, and able to interact with Him through His words and stories.

We believe that children are a blessing and that they belong with us when we gather to worship as a community and hear the Word. We believe it's a Biblical model and that the scriptures are clear that God takes great delight in having children around Him.

We believe that worship is more formative than instruction, although there is a time and place for that.

We want to include our children in as much of community life as appropriate and not separate them. Our hope is that this will nurture a sense of belonging for our children and that their presence will help form Artisan church as we grow and change to meet the needs of upcoming generations.

Our hope is to support, encourage, and equip parents to lead and guide their children in faith as they walk with Christ through relationships and in whatever ways we can.

We believe that God has much to teach all of us through our children.

Comments?

Hi!

I'm finding fewer and fewer threads about kids in emerging churches, probably because most of you are working hard to integrate youth and children into your community. I'm part of a new church plant and prayerfully helping watch over parents and kids. Some of our parents are very confident leading their kids in their faith walk. Some (with and without church backgrounds) are looking for resources and "equipping". Some like more structure. Some like less. "Sunday school or no?" If not, how will you "teach" and "train" kids? Kids in worship or not?

How are you including kids in your communities? How are the scriptures shaping you? Leading you? Guiding you as parents and as members of faith communities where kids are full fledged participants?

Hopefully this will be a place where you can share what you're excited about along with questions and concerns and hopefully, people will respond with their own stories about what God is doing.

Margie

(c) 2005 Margie Hillenbrand