All of you who have groups in your house understand that something like House Blend means a relatively clean house, a meal for 10-15+ , add worship semi-coordinated with whatever George decides to explore as topic which he thinks about for a week or a month but doesn't actually decide until Friday. Friday mid-morning, my husband whom I love, decided that it would be nice to use the idea of the yeast leavening the loaf and proposed this to me: Do you suppose "we" could bake one batch of homemade bread, (I assumed he meant pita bread, which he didn't), and then have one bowl of bubbling bread dough and one bowl of flour and yeast? Simple, right?...[mh grumbles...] In order to have bread finished and bubbling dough on cue, timing is important. It also helps, after you've already gone to the store, if your yeast isn't old and dead. But even in the midst of very very thick and sticky fingers it actually was a very good idea. The kids will remember it!
We did some of the songs Mike does on Sundays with simple choruses or a phrase that repeated that the kids could sing with us. They colored and we found various quiet distractions. If nothing else, we'll learn how to engage very active kids in worship at House Blend. And maybe we can somehow apply what we learn to Sundays. We'll keep working on it. [Next time remind me to bring out rhythm instruments.]
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Monday, April 03, 2006
Kids at House Blend (1)
One of the things we do at Artisan is House Blend - a relatively informal time at someone's house. (It happens to be at our house right now.) At House Blend, people come, eat, fellowship, worship, take communion together and ponder the scriptures. (and George likes to talk ...)
The Artisan folk were pretty brave having it at our house considering we don't really fit the post-modern mold or any church model we've been part of. But years ago when our kids were young, of all the home groups in our church, ours was one of the few (maybe the only one) that always included the kids. The kids usually spent the time playing and growing their relationsips with each other as opposed to staying around and participating, depending on their ages, but they came and they were a part of the group. George and I have been looking for little ways to include the kids and as I was staring at little fingers covered with sticky bread dough in the middle of my living room on Friday night, I realized that I've not blogged about this.
I don't remember which week was which but one week we took communion right after the meal as part of the meal (assuming it was part of the meal centuries ago when it first happened). We served meal sized portions of juice and bread. The kids joined us and George had some questions for them that had to do with the other things we did that night.
Another week, closing our eyes, we pictured ourselves as children receiving something from the Lord and how we would physically do that thinking it would be a good movement intro to lifting our hands. Let it be said that one of the very few who actually did something with their bodies, and the only one who lifted his hands high, was a child.
I only know the old worship songs and I didn't want to do the old worship songs so I decided to try something different. We have a young crew - a musical crew. Some of the kids like to make up songs. So I was thinking that psalm echo songs might be easy to make up and easy to do with the kids. It's scripture. If the song gets stuck in your head you get to meditate on the Word. So, for better or for worse, we used a few sentences from Psalms and made up some tunes and did an echo type deal. Yes, it was a little odd for some (most?) but that's ok. Adults and kids were basically all faced with the same challenge. Younger kids have the advantage of being less self-conscious.
The Artisan folk were pretty brave having it at our house considering we don't really fit the post-modern mold or any church model we've been part of. But years ago when our kids were young, of all the home groups in our church, ours was one of the few (maybe the only one) that always included the kids. The kids usually spent the time playing and growing their relationsips with each other as opposed to staying around and participating, depending on their ages, but they came and they were a part of the group. George and I have been looking for little ways to include the kids and as I was staring at little fingers covered with sticky bread dough in the middle of my living room on Friday night, I realized that I've not blogged about this.
I don't remember which week was which but one week we took communion right after the meal as part of the meal (assuming it was part of the meal centuries ago when it first happened). We served meal sized portions of juice and bread. The kids joined us and George had some questions for them that had to do with the other things we did that night.
Another week, closing our eyes, we pictured ourselves as children receiving something from the Lord and how we would physically do that thinking it would be a good movement intro to lifting our hands. Let it be said that one of the very few who actually did something with their bodies, and the only one who lifted his hands high, was a child.
I only know the old worship songs and I didn't want to do the old worship songs so I decided to try something different. We have a young crew - a musical crew. Some of the kids like to make up songs. So I was thinking that psalm echo songs might be easy to make up and easy to do with the kids. It's scripture. If the song gets stuck in your head you get to meditate on the Word. So, for better or for worse, we used a few sentences from Psalms and made up some tunes and did an echo type deal. Yes, it was a little odd for some (most?) but that's ok. Adults and kids were basically all faced with the same challenge. Younger kids have the advantage of being less self-conscious.
Monday, March 27, 2006
The Last Night of Artisan's Annual Celtic Series
Our guests at Artisan last night: some young, and very talented, Irish dancers. Our meal? Corned beef and cabbage.
From the passage about the potter and the clay, Nicole passed out pieces of clay to anyone old and young who wanted to participate and make a little clay person.
Talk of the relationship of Father, Son and Holy Spirit being like a dance.
We too become part of that dance (again, from Jeremiah) growing where God plants us - praying, living, being involved and contributing to the community around us in such a way that, as a blessing, we make meaningful contibution to the prosperity of the city in which we live.
From the passage about the potter and the clay, Nicole passed out pieces of clay to anyone old and young who wanted to participate and make a little clay person.
Talk of the relationship of Father, Son and Holy Spirit being like a dance.
We too become part of that dance (again, from Jeremiah) growing where God plants us - praying, living, being involved and contributing to the community around us in such a way that, as a blessing, we make meaningful contibution to the prosperity of the city in which we live.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Reggio Emilia?
Curious creature that I am, I asked Scott if he could translate "Reggio Emilia-inspired teaching background," (instead of looking it up myself) thinking it something tied to post-modern flavored Spiritual Formation (sorry, Scott).
The good news is that, if anyone else is curious, Scott discovered this info on wikipedia. Apparently Reggio Emilia-inspired teaching is an Italian approach to pre-school education.
If Daniel comes back, I'd love to hear more! Seems like an approach that could have interesting potential in a post-modern setting. But an approach very unlike what we're used to. [smile]
For the record, the article that Cindy Thomson mentioned after Barbaric Distractions is worth reading if you haven't seen it.
Haven't forgotten Children's Sprirituality. I just get easily distracted. (Sorry, it seems that the font's not working right.)
The good news is that, if anyone else is curious, Scott discovered this info on wikipedia. Apparently Reggio Emilia-inspired teaching is an Italian approach to pre-school education.
If Daniel comes back, I'd love to hear more! Seems like an approach that could have interesting potential in a post-modern setting. But an approach very unlike what we're used to. [smile]
For the record, the article that Cindy Thomson mentioned after Barbaric Distractions is worth reading if you haven't seen it.
Haven't forgotten Children's Sprirituality. I just get easily distracted. (Sorry, it seems that the font's not working right.)
Monday, March 20, 2006
Celtic Way of Cherishing God’s Creation & Artistry
That was the theme this week. We hit the 90 + mark and added an ASL interpreter. Besides the sanctuary being filled with people, we had a table for kids 4 yrs and up to paint and work with clay. There were other tables where artists were doing painting and metal work during the service. There were photos, quilt pieces and other forms of artwork on display. (I may have forgotten something.) Our youngest children, with parents, were in the foyer with video feed and clay and crayons and paper.
Things seemed to go smoothly. Unfortunately one family enjoyed the activities in the sanctuary but retreated to the nursery half-way through, only to find it unstaffed and without children, probably not realizing that the foyer was set up for them. My fault.
It's also probably worth thinking about books and other visuals and quiet toys for the foyer that tie to the message weekly instead of just for special events.
Any other feedback?
Things seemed to go smoothly. Unfortunately one family enjoyed the activities in the sanctuary but retreated to the nursery half-way through, only to find it unstaffed and without children, probably not realizing that the foyer was set up for them. My fault.
It's also probably worth thinking about books and other visuals and quiet toys for the foyer that tie to the message weekly instead of just for special events.
Any other feedback?
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