Twelve Practical Ways to education for the faith, ministry with children

It is important for congregations to provide age-specific classes and activities. Children can learn at

their pace and on their level. Teens can "hang out" with others who share Christian values and

beliefs. Adults can build community with other adults.

But, it is also important for congregations to care for the entire family as one organism. Many of

our church activities actually pull family members apart from each other. Here are practical ways to

strengthen the whole family unit.

1. Do a survey. Ask people with children/teens, "How family-friendly do you find our church?

On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate us? Why did you give our church this rating? Do

you have helpful suggestions?"

2. Welcome parents into children/youth programs. Parents are often curious and interested in

learning about your congregational activities for their child. When parents are involved,

they can make faith links between church and home.

3. Welcome children into adult programs. With some adaptation, a quiet play area and snack

table can be added to an adult meeting or program. Worried about noise level? You may

have noticed that adult’s tolerance for noise increases after having children. It can work the

same way in a family-friendly church.

4. Turn traditional programs into intergenerational programs—an intergenerational Bible class

or Sunday school, an all-generation Vacation Bible School, an all-person annual meeting.

5. Bring a book sale to your congregation once a year. Arrange a consignment of family devotional

books, family fun night suggestions, Christian family videos, Christian computer

games and activities.

6. Give families opportunity to serve together—visit a nursing home as a family, work at a

Habitat for Humanity site, pack food at the Food Bank.

7. Choose Sunday school curriculum that is family-friendly, that has take-home papers, activities

or suggestions so families can reinforce lessons.

8. Invite someone with a desk-top publishing program on their computer to design a faith-

building activity booklet for families. Include ideas like these: daily prayers, simple

Christian rituals, Bible verses to memorize, suggestions for family discussion about how to

apply Bible truths to their lives.

9. Create a quiet room, a prayer room or a spirituality centre at your church where entire families

can go and pray together.

10. Organize family outings such as canoe trips, picnics, tobogganing.

11. Invite…invite…invite children and youth to stay in worship. One minister says this at

every worship service, "In our congregation we provide Sunday school for babies to age 12,

but children are also welcome in our congregational worship. You, as a family, may choose

where to be."

12. Give families instructions for a simple Christian ritual which can be used at every meal. Here

is the one we use in our family at meal time:

Leader lights a white Christ candle.

Leader: We light this candle to remind us that Jesus is like a light to the world. The Lord be with you.

Others: And also with you. We join hands and say a prayer of thankfulness for food. At the end of the meal, we use a candle snuffer to extinguish the candle.

Leader: The smoke from this candle reminds us of the Spirit of God going out all over (our town) and the world.

By. Dorothy Henderson