Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - July/90

Contributor - Margaret Kapteyn

Title - Children and Worship

Topic - Education

Once there was someone who said such amazing things, and did such wonderful things, that people began to follow him. But they didn't know who he was. So one day they simply had to ask him, and he said... "I am the Good Shepherd, I know each one of my sheep by name. And they know the sound of my voice. So when I call my sheep from the sheepfold, they follow me. I walk in front of the sheep to show them the way. I show them the way to the good, green grass ... I show them the way to the cool, clear, still water. And when there are places of danger I show them the way to pass through so they can come safely home to the sheep fold."'

This excerpt from the story of the Good Shepherd, based on Psalm 23, is one of the many stories presented in the Children and Worship program.

Each Sunday, the worship leaders and children, ages 3 to 7 years, of Christ Community Church Welland, Ontario begin a journey. Filled with awe and wonder, we explore God's faithfulness and love as demonstrated in the stories of the Old and New Testaments.

Our journey began two and a half years ago as our church was evaluating the children's programming during the Sunday morning worship service. Problems with discipline, inconsistency of material used, and lack of continuity, led to a time that was anything but worshipful. The previous year, I had attended a ten-week course entitled "Children and Worship" at Western Seminary, which had been developed by Sonja M. Stewart and Jerome W Berryman. I was encouraged to present the program to our Education Committee. With thankfulness and joy in my heart, the church decided to embark on this new journey of worship with our children.

Today in many of our religious educational programs, we tell the children about God, but they do not have a first-hand experience. In Sofia Cavaletti's book, The Religious Potential of the Child, the author clearly shows that children have a natural religious inclination. She also believes that the preschool years are not just a time of preparation for worship, but that they are a time for children to participate in the worship experience.

Children and Worship is a program that creates an environment which enables the children to encounter and worship God. They encounter God's love in the stories, parables, and liturgical presentations.

Since young children learn through the use of their senses, the Children and Worship program makes use of materials, such as wood, felt, paper, and laminated posterboard. The materials are simple, but beautiful. They are designed for the children to use. The sacred stories are made mainly of wood and are three-dimensional. The parables, kept in gold boxes, are twodimensional, and are moved over felt underlays. The liturgical stories are three-dimensional because they are an expression of the sacred stories. Other materials, such as puzzles, books and art supplies, are used to deepen the religious experience.

The children begin their hour long journey each Sunday by entering the worship centre quietly and sitting in an open circle. They approach God with the use of liturgical greetings and songs of praise. This is followed by a presentation of the Word. The stories are presented by a trained leader using materials, which enable the child to see, as well as hear, the Word. The presentation is closed by a time of mutual wondering about the story. After the Word, the children move into their time of response. Here they can use the story materials just presented, or they can use the various art materials, puzzles, books, etc., to express their feelings about the story. Before leaving, the children gather in a circle once again to hear the Bible read. Prayers are offered, and a feast is celebrated. At the conclusion, the children sing the song "Go Now in Peace", and the worship leader gives each child a parting blessing.

To start a Children and Worship program in your church, you need to attend a training centre. The workshop is recommended for children's worship leaders, pastors, Christian educators, and those working with small children. The program is ideal for small churches, since classes are formed across the age span of three to seven years. The workshop will show you how to lead and administer the program, prepare a special worship environment, and teach you to tell Biblical stories and parables using wooden figures and other materials.

The Office of Education of the RCA has established training centres throughout Canada and the USA. In Ontario, a training centre has been established at the Maranatha Reformed Church, Wainfleet, Ontario. The contact person is Mrs. Melody Meeter. Costs involved in beginning a Children and Worship program in your church are as follows:

1. Workshop: $250. per two participants (includes the book Young Children and Worship, and materials for the Good Shepherd parable).

2. Worship centre: $600. to $1,000.

As our church has journeyed through this new experience of worship with the children, there have been times when we have wondered if the children are experiencing and encountering God. But there have been moments when we have glimpsed the Spirit of the Lord working in the hearts and lives of the children. One little girl shared with the worship leader, that the worship centre was a happy place. Another child shared that he liked the worship centre because he felt freedom even though the program is structured. Once after the call to worship was given, a child said that God was there with them, at that moment, and that God was pleased.

We have found that the program has been a good evangelistic tool. A new mother to the church shared that. her son did not want to go to any other church because he loved Children and Worship. Not only have the children been affected by the program, but also the worship leaders and greeters. The adults involved cherish the time spent with the children and have stated that of all their responsibilities in the church, Children and Worship is the most satisfying and rewarding.

I encourage every church to get involved in the Children and Worship program. As Jesus says, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (Matt. 19:14)

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