What is the Bible Story Walk All About?

Stories matter… and as Christians, the most important stories we have are from our books of scripture. Through this medium we find meaning, and have been afforded sacred glimpses not only of our Creator but about who we are and how we came into existence. The story of Creation from the Book of Genesis therefore seemed like an appropriate way to launch the Bible Story Walk pilot project.

How did this idea come to life?

One of the treasures of our Diocese is the unique, sometimes sprawling, sometimes modest, church properties with green spaces, gardens, paths, trees, flowers and trails. They beautify neighborhoods and fortify the environment, and can be found in both urban and rural settings. These spaces are notorious for attracting children and families for picnics or spontaneous games of frisbee or soccer. In short, they are a blessing to gardeners, dog walkers, cyclists and pedestrians, all of whom are known to enjoy them at their leisure.

In light of all this, we wanted to increase the value of these lawns and outdoor spaces so we designed The Bible Story Walk Project, a rotating outdoor art installation for church properties.

The objective of this project is to encourage passersby to slow down, or stop, reflect, ask questions and wonder. The story provides viewers with an opportunity for engagement as each of the stations has a question to consider and reflect upon.

The Bible Story Walk is an offering to our neighbors, it meets them where they are. It encourages the innate spiritual curiosity of children and a deeper longing to learn and grow in faith at any age or stage of life.

There are nine podiums that will be installed in strategic locations along walkways or paths that will neither impose nor demand but instead invite people to pause, to breathe, maybe even to pray, without any expectations.

The Story Walk panels are fastened into the ground and are equipped with a QR code which will allow spectators to learn more about not only the project and the Diocese of Montreal, but will also be linked to the website of the host church.

About the artist/the process

As an educator and author/illustrator of a children’s book I am invested in finding innovative ways to encourage kids to read and explore stories.

One ordinary day I was passing my local library with my dog when I came across an interesting display on a fence. Pages of a popular children’s book had been enlarged and plastified allowing children and families to read the story as they passed.

This struck me as such a generous offering to the community. Allowing kids on bikes or skateboards to get glimpses of children’s literature if they are in a hurry or to slow down and read more carefully if they have time. I was touched and moved to discover this and I was inspired to consider how we, as the Anglican Diocese of Montreal, coud be a part of something like this.

And then it came to me. We could! And we should!

So I got to work researching and considering how to bring this project to life. I wrote up a proposal that was met with encouragement and enthusiasm.

We opted to tell the creation story using the carefully considered language of Jerome Berryman in the style of Godly Play. I illustrated the story using watercolor and collage, while making reference to the minimalist approach of the official Godly Play Creation set.

It was an intense creative undertaking that I poured myself into with sheer delight. I consulted with some talented artistic advisors in my circle who provided me with some helpful tips and guidance. I was pleased with how the project unfolded and am delighted now that it has been born and has found its first home at St Paul’s Greenfield Park (321 EmpireGreenfield Park)

This Spring and summer, the installation will be traveling to parishes across the Diocese. We are enthusiastic and hopeful about the reach and impact it will have.

Interested in hosting The Bible Story Walk or learning more? lmatthews@montreal.anglican.ca

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With roots in indigenous cultures around the world, listening circles provide people an opportunity to speak and listen to each other in an atmosphere of safety, decorum and equality.

Our hope is to listen with open and prayerful hearts to a diverse range of voices. Whether you are a layperson, a member of clergy, a dedicated church member, a lapsed member,  if you have never been to church at all, we are listening and you are welcome to share.

The circles will be small and facilitated by a trained member of staff. Circles will take place primarily in English but French voices are welcome and there will be bilingual (French/English) translation available.

We want to be clear that this will not be a strategic planning or visioning session and we are not trying to achieve consensus or to arrive at any conclusions. There will, however, be guiding questions to support and promote open, frank and honest sharing. There are no right or wrong answers as we are gathering in a spirit of friendship and shared humanity.

These past two years have been very difficult on many levels, both for individuals and institutions. These Lenten Listening Circles are an invitation to come together to break the silence on some of our struggles, to lament, to learn and perhaps even to laugh together.

If you are interested in learning more, we will be happy to answer your questions. Listening Circle registration opens on March 2nd and will take place on Zoom.  Spaces are offered on a first-come first-served basis. Please register for either morning or evening sessions.

Listening Circle Dates:

Thurs March 17 10am

Thurs March 24 10am

Thurs March 31 7pm

Thurs April 7 7pm

Reflection and questions to consider:

Impacts of Lockdown and the Pandemic on my unique experience of Faith and Worship:      Is the Changing Landscape of the Church scary or exciting for me right now?

Where do I see myself and my faith in this uncertain future?

Contact Lee-Ann lmatthews@montreal.anglican.ca.

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The response was impressive – it was wonderful to receive close to 60 people on a Saturday morning in October for a three hour webinar. 

There were thirteen speakers, each given nine minutes or less to share their best ideas to inspire leaders of children, youth and family ministry in a post pandemic world. 

Here are few points from each speaker. The full webinar is available for you to view on our youtube channel or at www.montreal.anglican.ca/youth.

Sheilagh McGlyn: A View from the National Church

Sheilagh emphasized how those who work with young people are often the most creative, and the vision and creativity of these leaders are desperately needed by the Church right now. She stressed  the need to offer programming that puts connection before content and to be strong in our faith and to be present, grounded and nurturing. 

smcglynn@national.anglican.ca

The Rev Grace Burson: Telling the Story 

Grace explained that the bible is one story – an overall arc that makes sense and is the most fundamental element of what we do in Christian community. Stories such as these allow faith to grow with children and images and stories help imagination and creativity to flourish. 

gburson@montreal.anglican.ca

Valerie Taylor: Come Together, A New Resource

Valerie described a new resource she is producing called Come Together, that focuses on the feasts and festivals of the church year with an emphasis on all-age gatherings for the whole community. She explained that gatherings, in particular worship outside the box, cannot be implemented by one person but instead require a strong team (musical, technical, planning etc.). This new children’s ministry resource will be launching soon!

office@crosstalkministries.ca

Dr. Jonathan White:  Music Ministry for Children

Jonathan acknowledged that initiating a music ministry program is not a straightforward task and we must think outside of the box, including being flexible about Sunday morning scheduling. 

It is important for clergy to be involved; without their support there could be no program. He concluded with a reminder on how we must provide a positive experience for children as this will often “make” or “break” their future  involvement in the Church. 

jonathan.white@aya.yale.edu

Caitlin Reilley Beck: LGBTQ +Inclusion

Caitlin asserts that gender and sexuality are about understanding ourselves, our bodies, and our relationships which are all central to kids’ lives. She reminded us that children are sorting these things out as of age two. They learn what is “OK” from stories: bible, liturgy, sermons, art, what is deemed funny, what clothes are being worn, what is being whispered. She emphasized that LGBTQ+ as curriculum isn’t just “extra” it is in fact central. 

Caitlin also stressed the importance of all-ages ministry saying that we need people at different ages and stages of life because we can help care for each other. 

She reminded us that we share ourselves with children so that they can follow in the pattern of God by putting those in the margins at the centre of a caring community.

nilt.r.s@gmail.com

Edward Yankie: How do we teach kids about Christianity and where does Social Justice fit in?

Edward declared that there is no dichotomy between spirituality and social justice. The worst conversation you can have about race with kids is no conversation at all. He said that it is crucial to start talking about race early, often and honestly in children’s ministry.

There are resources on the Anti Racism web page on Diocesan website  www.montreal.anglican.ca/antiracism-task-force to support ministry to young people. 

“We know that children understand concepts of justice and kindness. We need to be transformed to build  a world with less bullying where people can reach their full potential.”

yankie.edward@hotmail.com

ArchBishop Mark MacDonald: An Indigenous Perspective

Bishop Mark said that the most stern and challenging statements and promises that Jesus made were about children. These are among the most urgent and pressing issues confronting the Church today.

He went on to say that if we need a reminder about the urgency of this matter, we should look at the missing children and residential schools. Mark cautions that children are aware of what is going on and when they encounter images of little shoes on doorsteps or thresholds, they will see this with fear. “Our children are being faced with shock, fear and disintegration and we are trying to grasp wholeness”.  

Mark stated that the acceptance of land acknowledgement across the Church reflects an attempt to repair the damage of the racist narrative. The task now is to find a new narrative, one that is inclusive and offers hope. “There has been a radical breach of trust and repair has to be a part of this narrative.” 

“The Ghost dancers who danced across turtle island believed that Jesus will come back and will make something new. We must weave this together. “

mmacdonald@national.anglican.ca

Canon Dr. Neil Mancor: Messy Church

Neil said that Messy Church provides an opportunity for open ended, meaning-making, process-oriented ministry that creates intentional space to explore and experiment. 

Neil asserted that “The Spirit works through creativity.” As such, children are considered active agents in shaping their spirituality through a combination of Prayer, craft and celebration that nourishes.  

Dinner is a very important aspect of Messy Church and it is a gift of love for the community. The table is the place where family happens. “All of us together, at the table, sharing the meal and children are full members, worthy of being included.”

He wonders, if we realize that all of this is just as important for us as adults too?

nmancor@montreal.anglican.ca

The Rev Amy Crawford: Godly Play 

Amy said that children come to us as spiritual beings and already have an understanding of the Holy. Godly Play themes explore the capacity for us being with God and God being with us.

The main elements of a Godly Play curriculum are:
Greeting: intentional crossing of threshold
Gathering: with a centering song or prayer
Story
Wondering
Responding: art / play
Feast
Dismissal 

Learn more about Godly Play godlyplay.ca

acrawford@united-church.ca

Archdeacon Linda Borden Taylor: Spiritual Direction for Children 

Linda highlighted the importance of play in childhood but alongside this, stillness and wonder. She described moments in time where a child is pulled through an invisible barrier into what is seemingly another realm, oftentimes when in the natural world. 

She encourages us to observe a child in their stillness. Children are in fact, naturals at contemplation, meditation and storytelling.

Linda provided some helpful resources and creative tools for Spiritual Direction with children and reminded us that children love to play and our job is to take on the role of the Holy listening friend. She left us with an invitation to ask the following question to a child in our lives: “Will you tell me?” and to listen deeply from your heart.

taylorlinda325@gmail.com

The Rev Jean Daniel ODonnacada: On Hard Topics in Children’s Ministry

Jean Daniel said that children are already spiritually mature and adults are not necessarily more mature than them. He challenged our understanding of spiritual maturity and reminded us that we are called to be like children asking why repeatedly. “We need to be childish in order to understand.”

We must honor the  agency of children and be a safe person for them. He offered the following advice:

Listen to them
Be precise
Keep your discomfort to yourself
Answer what they asked

Jean Daniel concluded with clear instructions on how to talk about the hard topics in church … because the children are ready. The question is, are we?

jd@stemarthe.ca

The Rev Judy Steers: Children’s Ministry in a Pluralistic Society

Judy emphasized the importance of “meaning-making” through story, mythic narrative and community based rituals. There must be a sense of freedom and mutual accountability in the process of faith formation. 

Judy also cautioned us about the univocal perspective and asked us to consider who is not in the room? Who are we excluding? She emphasized the importance of providing opportunities for multi faith learning and appreciation.

In conclusion Judy said we must learn to embrace diversity and work for a common inclusive vision where we learn from one another and see faith as a tapestry in which we are threads. 

steers@interlog.com

Bonus Speaker: Tanya Moxley: Let Kids Play 

Tanya provided a definition of play as any activity that is freely chosen, intrinsically motivated and self directed. If we are made in the image of God then surely God must want us to play!

She explained that play is how we effectively work through pain, suffering and trauma. Tanya suggested that when implementing a play based ministry we start with asking “why?”.

Tanya reminds us that children are intelligent, empathetic, curious and built to learn. She invited us as leaders of children’s ministry to say yes to play!

As these are just brief sumaries, I encourage you to watch the webinar online. And stay tuned for the next segment of our youth and children’s series – when we listen to the children!

The post Children’s Ministry Matters – Inspiration in nine minutes or less! appeared first on Montreal Anglican.

“It is astonishing that we pay so little attention to the fact that Jesus’ most lovely promises and most stern warnings involve the care and attention we pay to children and youth. Every act of loving encounter and meaningful attention is a prophetic engagement with the future and a profound statement of what we believe a human being is. This ministry is not only urgent, it is the greatest of human privileges.”

– Bishop Mark Macdonald

“One of the biggest surprises in some recent data on Canadian spirituality was that many people who are not connected to a church nevertheless desire for their kids to be taught about faith by a faith community. This means that, whether or not a church presently has kids in their congregation, every church should be exploring how they could connect with and serve the children in their neighbourhood in order to share the gospel with them and their families.”
– Rev Dr. Judy Paulsen

This will be a hybrid event. To register or for more information email Lee-Ann at mtlyouth@montreal.anglican.ca.

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