I'll keep reading Children's Spirituality and blogging about it but I seem to have lost most of my readers. LOL! Either they're still recovering from the holidays or this is boring. :-)
This is something else I've wanted to do with the blog - to take scriptures about kids and make observations and see what the Holy Spirit will reveal. Something I love about the Word, no matter how often I read a passage, there's always more to see.
I revisited the story of God calling Samuel (NIrV) this morning. Having recently read about African-American communities encouraging spirituality in their children, the differences over decision and journey (though I don't know that those are mutually exclusive), the importance of relationships in ministering to children, some things jump out at me. Here are some things to ponder. Just observations.
Samuel is given into Eli's charge but God is going to judge the man for the way he raised his own sons. It appears that he was too lenient. He let them mock God. He didn't stop them. Yet we've been taught that Samuel came to Eli as an obedient child. Eli hadn't trained his own sons to be obedient children, so I wonder if Samuel came to Eli more out of relationship than out of obedience.
vs. 7 "Samuel didn't know the Lord yet. That's because the Lord still hadn't given him a message." I wonder if teaching children to "hear" God (to listen for Him and to respond to His words) is crucial to their knowing Him and growing in faith.
vs 18 "So Samuel told him everything. He didn't hide anything from him." I wonder if it was training that made him do this or whether it was relational. I wonder. Maybe there is no either/or.
When Samuel came to Eli hearing voices and Eli sent him back to listen again and to respond to the Lord, Eli was taking a chance. It turned out that Samuel came back with something Eli probably didn't want to hear. Maybe it was something he already knew, he was a priest. Yet Eli received God's message from the child saying, "He is the Lord. Let him do what he thinks is best. " vs. 18
Then the scriptures say, vs 19 - 20 "As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him. He made everything Samuel said come true." I wonder. . . what if Eli hadn't taken the boy seriously. What if Eli hadn't listened?
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Monday, January 09, 2006
The Surprise!
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!
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!
What's happening at Artisan?
There are photos and interesting things on the Artisan website. We've been including all the kids in service every Sunday since the middle of the summer.
We have
-a food table in the back of the room available for anyone at anytime during service
-an overhead with visuals and candles and different decorating elements each week
-signage with simple ways to include your child in worship
-rhythm instruments available during congregation singing and room for kids to move within arms length of their parents
-we've arranged the chairs and 2 couches in the foyer outside the sanctuary doors to make an enclosure for toddlers and young preschoolers with parents and helpers. There are small tables, chairs from the nursery, and art materials in an old TV cabinet on wheels. Parents bring their own toys. Our hope is to tell people next week's scripture/theme so parents can bring playthings that tie into worship.
-a time when kids come up front for a kid friendly tie in to the theme.
-a craft table with handout: one focus verse, a pre-school, younger, and older elementary school activity suggestion, something to do over the course of the week. Kids also have the freedom to just use the materials in a creative way to respond to the message.
-this week we introduced a surprise.
We have
-a food table in the back of the room available for anyone at anytime during service
-an overhead with visuals and candles and different decorating elements each week
-signage with simple ways to include your child in worship
-rhythm instruments available during congregation singing and room for kids to move within arms length of their parents
-we've arranged the chairs and 2 couches in the foyer outside the sanctuary doors to make an enclosure for toddlers and young preschoolers with parents and helpers. There are small tables, chairs from the nursery, and art materials in an old TV cabinet on wheels. Parents bring their own toys. Our hope is to tell people next week's scripture/theme so parents can bring playthings that tie into worship.
-a time when kids come up front for a kid friendly tie in to the theme.
-a craft table with handout: one focus verse, a pre-school, younger, and older elementary school activity suggestion, something to do over the course of the week. Kids also have the freedom to just use the materials in a creative way to respond to the message.
-this week we introduced a surprise.
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Research, Science, and Children's ministry
I've been sitting on this one.
Scientists observe. I think of science as observing what God has created. Sometimes scientists affirm what we already know. They see the same things we see.
Sometimes they discover new things. They see things that we didn't know were there, maybe because they have tools (microscopes, telescopes, labs) that we don't have. Maybe only because we're not looking. Maybe we're distracted by things that are more important to us. Or maybe we're looking in the wrong places.
Sometimes the things scholars and scientists see aren't really new. They've been there all along. But no one thought they were important.
Sometimes scientists talk about things we think we know but we begin to develop language that enables us to share what we know in a way that benefits others.
I think research is probably most helpful when it helps us see that what we're doing (or not doing) would benefit children more if we turn this way or that way. Or maybe we should spend more time on this and a little less time on that. Or it appears that these things over here may be more important than we thought. Scientists will tell you that research can be manipulated but even so, someone invested a lot of time to make a point.
In our denomination Children's Ministry stands under the umbrella of Christian formation. That makes sense to me. I guess it surprised me that in the wider church, recognizing a child's inherent spirituality is such a hard thing. It surprised me that Christian social scientists had to prove that spirituality is a facet of childhood and it's important. It surprised me that many in Children's Ministry think about Children's Ministry without thinking about the spirit of a child, spiritual formation, how things affect children, how children interact differently with their world at different ages and that they respond differently than adults do. I don't know why it surprised me but it did. Maybe because I'm new at this.
Science and faith conflict because faith is evidence of what we can't see, observe and measure. Science focuses on what we can see. Science has a tendancy to answer and explain. Faith is content to be awestruck by the mysteries of God. Maybe spirituality falls in that between land or maybe it's really at the heart of life in such a way that neither science nor faith adequately explain.
I think we can take comfort from the fact that even if we turn to science for certain answers (observing what God has created), that all the things His hands have made will ultimately point us back to Him. Could God show us the same things if we faithfully searched the scriptures? I expect so.
If we need research to confirm our choices, at Artisan in particular, I think we're headed in the right direction.
Scientists observe. I think of science as observing what God has created. Sometimes scientists affirm what we already know. They see the same things we see.
Sometimes they discover new things. They see things that we didn't know were there, maybe because they have tools (microscopes, telescopes, labs) that we don't have. Maybe only because we're not looking. Maybe we're distracted by things that are more important to us. Or maybe we're looking in the wrong places.
Sometimes the things scholars and scientists see aren't really new. They've been there all along. But no one thought they were important.
Sometimes scientists talk about things we think we know but we begin to develop language that enables us to share what we know in a way that benefits others.
I think research is probably most helpful when it helps us see that what we're doing (or not doing) would benefit children more if we turn this way or that way. Or maybe we should spend more time on this and a little less time on that. Or it appears that these things over here may be more important than we thought. Scientists will tell you that research can be manipulated but even so, someone invested a lot of time to make a point.
In our denomination Children's Ministry stands under the umbrella of Christian formation. That makes sense to me. I guess it surprised me that in the wider church, recognizing a child's inherent spirituality is such a hard thing. It surprised me that Christian social scientists had to prove that spirituality is a facet of childhood and it's important. It surprised me that many in Children's Ministry think about Children's Ministry without thinking about the spirit of a child, spiritual formation, how things affect children, how children interact differently with their world at different ages and that they respond differently than adults do. I don't know why it surprised me but it did. Maybe because I'm new at this.
Science and faith conflict because faith is evidence of what we can't see, observe and measure. Science focuses on what we can see. Science has a tendancy to answer and explain. Faith is content to be awestruck by the mysteries of God. Maybe spirituality falls in that between land or maybe it's really at the heart of life in such a way that neither science nor faith adequately explain.
I think we can take comfort from the fact that even if we turn to science for certain answers (observing what God has created), that all the things His hands have made will ultimately point us back to Him. Could God show us the same things if we faithfully searched the scriptures? I expect so.
If we need research to confirm our choices, at Artisan in particular, I think we're headed in the right direction.
Friday, January 06, 2006
Another book
Here's another book for your resource list: Including Children In Worship: A Planning Guide for Congregations by Elizabeth J. Sandell, Published by Augsburgh Fortress 1991 Minneapolis MN.
It's only 80 pages. It's very user friendly! You can use it to examine your thinking, implement ideas to include children in worship, and it works as a small group study guide. It's especially useful as a guide for Worship Committees but there's alot in here for parents, Christian educators and church leadership. She includes practical, creative ideas, a nice bibliography, and lots of questions. :)
It's only 80 pages. It's very user friendly! You can use it to examine your thinking, implement ideas to include children in worship, and it works as a small group study guide. It's especially useful as a guide for Worship Committees but there's alot in here for parents, Christian educators and church leadership. She includes practical, creative ideas, a nice bibliography, and lots of questions. :)
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