“It’s time to do good!” This year’s motto includes our children in particular. At nac.today, experts explain how this can work in faith. Let’s start with the question, how can we include children in worship?
The Church, its teaching programmes, and divine services should be an attractive and important focal point for children. But how can we achieve this?
Just like at school, children look forward to being together with other children. And children want to be involved and help shape church life. If they find both in the church, there is a good chance that they will feel comfortable there and enjoy going.
All activities designed to motivate children are about them taking responsibility and having fun in the process. Every child has skills and strengths that they can contribute to the congregation. If they are allowed to contribute these and are recognised for it, they can learn that taking responsibility and fulfilling tasks can be a great thing. This is how children experience that they are important and valued by the members in the congregation.
Here are some possibilities:
- helping as greeters at the door. The children could help by counting those attending the service or greeting the people at the door with a handshake.
- participation in the divine service. Children could read out announcements or do a Bible reading and thus build a bridge between children and adults in the congregation.
- sponsorships. If children have outgrown Sunday School and begin to regularly attend the divine services, sponsorships would be a nice idea: an older child could sponsor a younger child, greet it, sit next to it, and talk to it before and after the service.
- gifts for the seniors. Children could make crafts in Pre-Sunday School or Sunday School related to the subjects they are covering and give them to the senior members after the service. This way, the brothers and sisters would know what the children are learning and feel closer to them.
- church café. Many congregations organise a church café from time to time. Children could serve, bake something together the Saturday before, or decorate the tables.
- altar decorations. The children could decorate the altar two or three times a year together with experienced adults.
Photo: Thomas Brunschede
About the author
Natascha Wolf is a teacher and principal at a primary school. She has three children. She is also a Sunday School teacher and conductor of the district children’s choir in Rottweil, Germany.