Children in Worship: |
Prayer Grounds: |
One pager on practical tips of intentional engagement of children in worship from Pastor Janelle Hooper.
ELCA Worship Formation and Liturgical Resource entitled: How do we involve children in worship?
Wondering about Wondering?? - Read this short article by DWELL to better understand the IMPORTANCE of wondering.
**A Must Read!
Incorporating Children in Worship: Mark of the Kingdom - by Michelle A Clifton-Soderstrom and David D. Bjorlin This well researched books provides all the key background info for why children in worship is essential to ushering in the kin-dom of God. 
Pew Cards: 4 Approaches to Communicating "Children are Welcome in Worship"
Presbyterian Pastor Traci Smith offers resources on Etsy, including what could be of help in a pew box for kids.
Ten Ways for Families to Engage Children in Worship - a two page toolkit from the Reformed church
A little education about worship goes a long way as explained by Gregory Rawn from Spirit and Truth Publishing.
More than Just a Busy Bag: Helping Toddlers & Preschoolers Worship - "Participation in worship is a key marker for lifelong faith development, so how do we do this well for our littlest ones?
An example of a Children's Bulletin (Family Worship Guide) this one by Rev. Ware Jackson
Including Children in Worship: A Planning Guide for Congregations by Elizabeth J. Sandell Gives a brief theological argument for children in worship, provides practical arguments, gives a detailed 4 week Adult Forum class on discussing the need for children in worship and even rebuttal statements for adult excuses.
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Example from Christ the King Lutheran Church, Nashua, NH -
*hands-on/manipulatives, *kids tables and circle rugs - *children's bulletins *alphabet puzzles *bibles *puppets *felt Advent Wreath kits *felt Nativity kits (DIY). What other bits might you include? We have had two small wood trains - but those were fought over. Also have had these amazing foam blocks that look like wood (2 sets) and we just took those out to take a breather - will come back in likely in Epiphany. *during the sermon invite kids to a Creation Station. The station is equipped with craft supplies and the children create based on the children's sermon and then bring their creations up during the offering as their offering to God.
*Play dough,pocket or finger labyrinth, etch-a-sketch, or aqua doodle mats, play communion sets, use things from nature on their tables: pine cones, big shells, bark, smooth pebbles, feathers, dried or fresh flowers to touch and take apart
*some form of communal liturgical art piece - something like a link banner like this
Labyrinths:Labyrinths have been around for 4,000 years. Clearly there is something to this meditative connection we can have while moving our hands, feet and bodies. Great for all ages, especially kids, they invoke curiosity and wondering about faith rather than rigid answers. "Labyrinths are tools for spiritual transformation, thought to enhance right-brain activity. Labyrinths evoke metaphor, sacred geometry, spiritual pilgrimage, religious practice, mindfulness, environmental art, and community building. "
Use this handy tool, the Labyrinth Locator, to hone in on labyrinths near you! Or make your own easy labyrinth with kids!
Veriditas - inspiring transformation through the labyrinth experience. Includes online training, events, tools for building your own.
World Labyrinth Day - Provides tools for educators to use all year by encouraging teachers and parents to explore labyrinths with children and teens as a creative activity, calming and centering space, and walking meditation.
The Labyrinth Company designs and builds walkable labyrinths in all media for temporary or permanent use.
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Children's Sermons:
7 Pro Tips for Children's Messages
- A two pager written by Pastor Janelle Rozek Hooper. Worth a look!
Also example videos below.
- A two pager written by Pastor Janelle Rozek Hooper. Worth a look!
Also example videos below.
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In-person @min 30:20
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Pre-recorded @min13:06
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Storypath - A website that connects children's literature with our stories of faith by providing concise but detailed book reviews. Extra bonus...it aligns with the lectionary and comes out WEEKS ahead of time so you can be sure to get the book from the library or buy it BEFORE you need it.
Heavenly Sunshine: Worship for Kids- A thirty minute service meant for children to be able to move around as they worship.
Kidsermon.com - Author Ruth Gilmore indexes and references her several paperback books (Scolding Snakes, Barefoot in the Snow, Saving the Ants, and Sitting on the Rainbow) full of children's sermons.
Beyond Children's Sermons- from Spirit & Truth Publishing. An intentional children’s time is a great opportunity to include our younger disciples in the worship service. However, it is too often the only time children are included. The solution: make this and (eventually) the whole service intergenerational!
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Worshiping with Children blog - Including children in the congregation's worship, using the Revised Common Lectionary.
Faith Formation Journeys - Children's Message ideas and more!
Feasting on the Word - "Pastors: Joining the Feast" curriculum is the first I've seen that offers suggestions on how to share the message for different ages of youth. It also includes a brief children's sermon as well as children's bulletin.
Dollar Store Kids Sermons - Find ideas using dollar store items or as springboard for your creativity.
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Intergenerational Worship:
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*GenOn's survey on the necessity for intergenerational churches. They believe that this kind of ministry is critical to healthy, thriving churches.
GenOn believes intergenerational churches are so necessary they have created a Visioning Tool for Intergenerational Ministry-This easy-to-use tool helps churches take a picture of current ministries and their inclusion of multiple ages, and create a plan to move toward being an intergenerational church.
All Ages Worship: Shifting Language & Why it Matters from Building Faith
Music That Makes Community - YouTube examples of songs that don't require sheet music, thus are good for intergenerational worship.
Worship Arts Drama 1
7 intergenerational dramas for use in worship. Plays can be led by children, youth, adults, or any combination of ages. Resource is downloadable and includes Best Practices of presenting dramas in worship and a Scripture index. |
Intergenerational Worship Like Thanksgiving Dinner-At First Presbyterian the church has made strides toward intergenerational worship. They’ve boosted the participation of all ages at the Sunday service, launched a weeklong children’s camp on worship, started a church-band mentoring program, published a pew booklet on worship and held a churchwide worship workshop.
*For sure read about the Church-Band Mentoring Program; “You have to build a farm team, not leave it to chance that young people will be an active part of the church community,” Tornborg said. “If you want to get youth involved in Sunday morning worship, make them stakeholders.” *7 Keys to becoming Intergenerational by John Roberto
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Children's Chapel:
Basics of Children's Chapel By Sarah Allred for Building Faith
Story of the Woman at the Well - Storytelling by Pastor Jen Kindsvatter from Lutherhill Lutheran Camp in TX.
Consider "Flat Jesus", Mary Magdalene or other Biblical characters to journey with you as the Biblical story is told around your sacred space, ALL YEAR ROUND!
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Making Room for Everyone
More Stories for Building a Children’s Chapel - Bill Gordh presents a wide range of folktales from around the world, stories from different faith traditions, and great HOW-To's for children's chapel in general. The stories are presented to be told aloud, complete with storytelling tips and musical suggestions for each. (ages 3-11) 
Church Publishing Inc. - the Episcopal church offers Celebrate for children's chapel QUARTERLY. The philosophy of Celebrate encourages active participation. For example: Children do not want to be “consumers” of liturgy, but co-creators. An example can be found here.
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More Help:Children and Communion: A two page resource from the Reformed Church.
Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes Blessing - from the Episcopal church
American Sign Language practice website.
Sign Language - Consider teaching the Lord's Prayer to young people who can than lead it in worship every week. You'll be surprised how it welcomes people of all ages and abilities into worship as well as sets the tone of welcome to anyone with special needs.
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Have a takeaway: It can be a physical take away or a reoccurring sticky theme..but you need to craft the children's sermon with the end in mind. Not everything has to be an object lesson but make your focus repetitive enough that what they learn sticks with them. Follow Pastor Melissa Florer-Bixler on her blog New Bread with concrete takeaways for intergenerational worship.
"Worship is more than songs and sermons, more than prayers and pews. Worship is how we become whole - that messy and miraculous moment when we are knit together into the Body of Christ. If any are excluded because they are too loud, too dirty, too wiggly, or too weak, we all suffer. Worship is not about our own comfort, it is not about our own experience - be it beautiful or broken - it is about God." from Pastor Karen Ware Jackson's website.
Simple way to invite children to share in the offering.
Say Hello - by Jack and Michael Foreman. Great for a children's sermon, encourage the whole congregation to consider again how universal it can feel to be left out and how simple it is to intentionally welcome. A spare, poignant picture book reminding us that when someone looks lonely and in need of a friend, one little word can help.
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