SPRING CHECK-IN: As the school year winds down and summer approaches, here's a communication (for all, but) especially for parents and grandparents of LNPC kids. I'd LOVE if we could all be in the same room for a conversation, so consider this a poor substitute for that, and please take a few minutes to read all the way through. Blessings to all families in this time of transition. (It's probably safe to put away the boots and mittens now!)
Kara
WORSHIP:
Lately, the kids have been resourcefully meeting their needs for play, connection and ease by leaving the service and hanging out together in the nursery. This is lovely and understandable, and our kids are building relationships with one another after a long pandemic pause - this is so good.
But also kids are a vital part of our shared worship - and by participating in worship they are absorbing truth about God’s love and their place in the family of God. When they are not with us, they, and we, miss out on sharing our most central practice of remembering all together who and whose we are.
When kids start feeling overly restless or uninvested in worship, it’s on all of us big people to help re-engage them. As with all things children: what works for a while stops working, and we need to keep paying attention and adapting. So we’ll be trying a few new things that hope to meet them where they are developmentally and tap into their creativity and gifts. Our updated pew insert is helpful for those with kids and those without kids.
Let's keep imagining together how we can empower kids to participate fully, and sharing our ideas!
See our updated pew insert about children and worship
See our theology of children
PLAY:
Free play is SO important (and so lacking in today’s world compared to our own childhoods!). Playing with other kids at church is a huge and formative gift that also teaches us whose and who we are. The joy on the faces of our little ones as they chase each other down the church halls is infectious! Our Fall and Spring Sabbath Retreats are extended times of free play, where--like the old-school, neighborhood, all-ages, kid pack--kids run rampant for a whole weekend, mainly just joining adults for worship and meals. How else can we make space for free play? Let’s talk together about how we can ensure our kids are getting the benefit of unsupervised play together. (For example: Do we want to set some Family Playdates, eg, pizza and free rein of the building? Meet up at parks? Other ideas?)
FAITH FORMATION / SUNDAY SCHOOL:
Our faith is formed even more by the shared routines we absorb and habits we practice together than by the information we take in. (eg, praying, singing, trusting, sharing milestones, hearing the bible read).
But deliberate learning about scripture and our faith tradition is part of our formation too. After the pandemic, we discerned that between parents, kids, and the congregation, nobody had the capacity for Sunday school before worship services. So we've been incorporating some "lessons" other ways.
We are Church together, and we are all ministers.
It's our job to keep asking, What is God doing now? and keep adapting how we are church together!
Kara
WORSHIP:
Lately, the kids have been resourcefully meeting their needs for play, connection and ease by leaving the service and hanging out together in the nursery. This is lovely and understandable, and our kids are building relationships with one another after a long pandemic pause - this is so good.
But also kids are a vital part of our shared worship - and by participating in worship they are absorbing truth about God’s love and their place in the family of God. When they are not with us, they, and we, miss out on sharing our most central practice of remembering all together who and whose we are.
When kids start feeling overly restless or uninvested in worship, it’s on all of us big people to help re-engage them. As with all things children: what works for a while stops working, and we need to keep paying attention and adapting. So we’ll be trying a few new things that hope to meet them where they are developmentally and tap into their creativity and gifts. Our updated pew insert is helpful for those with kids and those without kids.
Let's keep imagining together how we can empower kids to participate fully, and sharing our ideas!
See our updated pew insert about children and worship
See our theology of children
PLAY:
Free play is SO important (and so lacking in today’s world compared to our own childhoods!). Playing with other kids at church is a huge and formative gift that also teaches us whose and who we are. The joy on the faces of our little ones as they chase each other down the church halls is infectious! Our Fall and Spring Sabbath Retreats are extended times of free play, where--like the old-school, neighborhood, all-ages, kid pack--kids run rampant for a whole weekend, mainly just joining adults for worship and meals. How else can we make space for free play? Let’s talk together about how we can ensure our kids are getting the benefit of unsupervised play together. (For example: Do we want to set some Family Playdates, eg, pizza and free rein of the building? Meet up at parks? Other ideas?)
FAITH FORMATION / SUNDAY SCHOOL:
Our faith is formed even more by the shared routines we absorb and habits we practice together than by the information we take in. (eg, praying, singing, trusting, sharing milestones, hearing the bible read).
But deliberate learning about scripture and our faith tradition is part of our formation too. After the pandemic, we discerned that between parents, kids, and the congregation, nobody had the capacity for Sunday school before worship services. So we've been incorporating some "lessons" other ways.
- Our 5th Sunday Waffle Worship services are all-ages learning experiences on important parts of our faith.
- At Dinner Party kids meet with me and we have interactive lessons together.
- Our confirmation journey goes in depth and lasts years. I'll be touching base with older kids and parents this summer to take some steps in this process.
- THIS SEPTEMBER we begin with an all-church whole bible reading to follow the narrative arc of the bible. (Storybook bibles for littlest, Action Bible graphic novel for middlers, and The Story of God novel for adults). We'll check in every Sunday service on the characters and stories we've read recently, and build a visual story-arc timeline around the sanctuary.
- Summer camp is a great immersive way to learn and practice faith! Let's talk about a joint week at Clearwater Forest this summer-?
We are Church together, and we are all ministers.
It's our job to keep asking, What is God doing now? and keep adapting how we are church together!
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