7) Worship, Making it Child-Friendly
We currently use Sarah's worship pictograms in our children's bulletin, and we love them! Our bulletin shells come from
childrensbulletins.com, and we receive them electronically, though you can also subscribe to receive hard copies in the mail. They are lectionary-based, and dated, and include one sheet for the outside cover and one for the inside. They are available for younger and for older children. We use the outside covers for the bulletins, and instead of using the worksheets intended for the inside of the bulletin, we insert our own church's order of worship (in child-friendly wording), using the pictograms to help younger children know when we will sing, read the Bible, pray, etc. Then we use the worksheets for our children's worship activity bags - canvas bags that include a clipboard with the lectionary-based worksheets, blank paper for drawing, a notebook for taking notes, and a baggie of crayons. During a Preparation for Worship class each fall, parents and children and taught some basics about worship, encouraged to engage in the active parts of worship (singing, praying, reading scripture, saying creeds, offering, etc.), and to use the worship activity bags during quite times, when it is hard to sit still. We also actively include children in the worship service by providing a Time for Young Disciples (children's sermon), and by having them serve as acolytes, Bible bearers, lay readers (reading the scripture), and ushers/greeters. Additionally, they begin the worship hour by ringing the chimes, and the children's choir sings in worship on a regular basis. A terrific resource for helping parents with bringing their children to worship is Robbie Castleman's Parenting in the Pew. Hope this helps, and blessings to you as you encourage children to worship our Great God! Kit MacLeod, Children's Ministries Director, South Highland Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, AL, USA
--from SSTN: thank you, Kit! ;o) It was your inspiration! For those who
are interested, you can find the worship pictograms at:
http://www.sundayschoolnetwork.com/curriculum-childrens-worship-bulletins.html
and Parenting in the Pew in our affiliate bookstore by typing the
title into the search box at: http://www.sundayschoolnetwork.com/bookstore.html
