Children Worship & Wonder
It's time, once again, to begin our Children Worship & Wonder program. This program offers an exciting way to approach faith formation with children. They hear Bible stories in a way that allows them to enter into the stories and form responses out of their own life experiences. It is a Montessori influenced program where they learn about God as they experience God..
Children Worship & Wonder was created to make a special worship space where Children come to encounter God, to be still with God and to listen to God. It is a place where Children come to nurture their spiritual life. This special worship space is designed with recognition of children as spiritual beings who already have a relationship with God.
Each week the children come into their special worship space, where a storyteller waits for them with a smile on his or her face. They sit in a circle, surrounded by bible stories made just for them, with all materials at their height. Everything in this special place is accessible to the children. They begin their worship time just as we begin ours, which is the gathering of God's people to hear God’s word.
They will hear the word proclaimed through a bible story told with multi-sensory materials that children with all different learning styles can value and enjoy. As the story is finished the children are invited to enter into a time of wonder about the story. They are asked "wondering questions" to help them dive deeper into the meaning of the story and to listen for God's still voice that is found there. These questions might sound like, "I wonder if the Good Shepherd's sheep have names?" Or, " I wonder what it was like to be in the ark for forty days…I wonder if Noah knew that God was with him?"
And, just as in "big" worship, the children will respond to the Word. In adult worship we often respond through prayer, song, offering, celebration of the Communion Meal, blessings, dedications and baptisms. The children have the chance to respond to the Word in a myriad of ways as well. Some of these ways include telling their own story or the story they just heard, using art and craft materials, reading books or working with puzzles.
As they leave each week, the children will participate in the last order of worship, which is the sending out of God's people into the world, just as we do in our own worship service. Each child will be given a special blessing as they leave to be God's disciples in their homes, schools, and activities.
Each year we begin this important program with 2 special introductory weeks that help the children to remember what a special place we have for their time of worship. We gather together and help our younger friends who might be new to the program to learn how we prepare ourselves to be in such a special place and how we work with God’s special stories and do our response work with the materials provided. It is very important for each child to attend this orientation process so they can remember that what we do together in the worship center is special and is for God. Parents, Grandparents or special adult friends are strongly encouraged to attend at least one session with the children so they will have an idea of how wonderful this program is for the faith formation of our children.
Please set aside time to encounter God in our Children Worship & Wonder program beginning Sunday, August 18th. The children will come forward for a special blessing and will then depart for the first of a wonderful year of learning together as we worship the God who gave us the blessings of these little ones and all the stories we share with one another throughout the year.
Shalom,
Tracy