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Children and Worship

“The Worship Center is a very special place… In this place, we have all the time we need... This is a place to be with God, to talk with God, to listen to God, and to hear the stories of God.”  

Children and Worship is a worship service designed for children, ages 3 through kindergarten, to learn to worship God. During the morning worship services, the children are dismissed to meet in the Children's Worship Center to bring their worship to God. They hear God's Word and learn to respond in faith and service to the Lord. This ministry is held from September through May.

Participating actively as worshippers, children will talk to God by singing, using sign language, praying, and responding through artwork and creative writing.  The children will also listen to God through the stories of God that are told and through the quietness at both prayer time and response time.  They will enjoy community through a time of fellowship by sharing food while also sharing joys and concerns that are important in their lives.  After the children each receive an individual blessing, they are sent back out into the world to tell others about their experiences of God's love.

The children participating in Children & Worship are truly in a worship service experiencing God through a similar order of worship as our congregational worship:

• “We Approach God” (being called to worship, giving a greeting, singing songs of praise to God);

• “We Proclaim God's Word” (hearing the stories of God, reading the Bible, responding to God’s Word);

• “We Give Thanks to God” (praying a prayer of thanksgiving, giving of an offering, enjoying a feast - snack and fellowship);

• “Go in God's Name” (being told to go out into the world in peace to love and serve the Lord; receiving a blessing that the Holy Spirit will be with each child wherever they go).

Various manipulatives are used for storytelling so the children see the Scripture as they hear God's Word and later, they may literally hold God's stories in their own hands.  Children have an opportunity as a group to respond to the Word of God through their wondering questions and statements.  They also individually and quietly spend time with God by reflecting upon what they have seen and heard, by talking to Him and by listening to Him.  The children actively carry out this response to God by working with story materials, art materials and other support materials related to the Bible stories (books, puzzles, maps, pictures, etc.).

Children & Worship is an exciting ministry to help our children to understand worship as a time to be active participants with a loving God.  This is a place where children discover the wonder of God and yearn to know Him better.  His desire to have a relationship with each and every one of us - including children - is great.