“The noise and energy of children in church on Sunday is a sign of life and hope. God put the wiggles in children so we don’t expect them to sit perfectly still”
– All Saints by the Lake pew card
When we enter a space we all want to feel welcomed, to feel that we belong.
Churches in our diocese proudly offer spaces of belonging to all. We do this by providing a proper greeting at the door with a well-crafted bulletin that serves as a roadmap of the service to come.
When we enter we are encouraged to take a seat, to enjoy the peaceful meditative atmosphere: the high ceilings, the music, the remnant smell of candles and incense or the pages of ancient books that have been read by generations. This can be a sensorial delight for many which may even lead to a sense of profound awe and/or deep reverence.
But what about children?
What about families with children?
Some who are fussy and impatient?
For whom the serenity of church is not accessible?
Maybe it’s even a little scary?
Or overwhelming?
Or boring?
What does welcome mean to them?
Do they feel included, noticed?
Even at the best of times, children have different needs than adults. They are at a developmental stage where sitting still and being quiet for any length of time can be challenging.
Every child is unique and some may feel right at home straight away in a church context but for those who don’t, what can we do? In the Anglican Diocese of Montreal, how can we provide a greater sense of welcome and belonging to families?
Many of our churches already provide intentional and dedicated children’s corners, children’s ministry programs with age appropriate activities and/or busy bags to keep children occupied and to nurture their spiritual curiosity.
We commend these efforts and encourage an even greater stewardship in this area. We would also like to further support these efforts and extend our help.
We are developing a campaign of intentional welcome for families including a parents guide, a poster, optional monthly children’s ministry lesson plans and church goody bags to orient new families.
This is an offering to reinforce existing efforts to let families know that they are not only welcome but seen, and are important to the life of the Church.
This is a new initiative and one that is being refined. Thanks to the input of a select group of clergy and lay leaders we are still in the testing phase of the project. It is our hope that we will be able to grow the project in an ongoing effort to welcome and encourage families to be a part of our worship experiences.
We need your suggestions and feedback. Please let me know if you would like to participate. ([email protected]). We look forward to this new collaboration!
