Children are welcome in our worship services, and we encourage adults to help children believe that they belong here; they, too are a part of the church body. The more familiar children are with what is going on, the higher their comfort level is. Often, we will offer a quilt at the front of the church with quiet activities for children during the service. Our Children's Ministry Coordinator will sit with them to help guide them through the liturgy so that they can learn to cherish the awe and wonder that happens here and take it back into the world outside the church.

Here are some ideas to share with your children that may help them enter more fully into worship:

The four elements of our liturgy (or Eucharist) are Come, Listen, Do, and Go.
Liturgy: "the work of the people" needs all of us, not just the priest.

COME
-Before leaving home, encourage your child to compose a prayer to say when they come to church
and get settled. It may have these elements: What has made me happy this past week? Who do I want to pray for? What am I sorry about?

-If the child is not comfortable finding the place in the Book of Common Prayer, or the Hymnal, spend time looking through them before church, and marking the pages with bookmarks.

-As you wait for the service to begin, encourage the child to "notice" what is going on and what is ready for us. Bring several sheets of paper to church with pencils or crayons and encourage them to draw what they are seeing.

LISTEN
-This portion of the liturgy can be very hard for children. Most children can pay much better attention if their fingers are freed to draw what they are hearing. Supplying paper and pencils or crayons will help tremendously.

-Help the child find the places in the Prayer Book so that, for example, when they hear, "The Word of the Lord" they are ready to respond, "Thanks be to God."

-Because the Episcopal Church follows a Lectionary, the readings for any given Sunday can be easily looked up ahead of time with your child. Help your child listen for a repeat of phrases in the lessons as they are read during the service, and listen for connections during the sermon. Click here for this Sunday's readings.

-The sermon could also be a time for the child to persue a book you have brought along. We offer canvas bags filled with well-illustrated Bible stories for children. They are to the right just before you enter the sanctuary from the narthex.

DO
-Help your child recognize their active part in the liturgy by noticing when to stand, kneel, and sit.

-Read the Creed, the Confession, the Prayers of the People, and parts of the Holy Eucharist together at home to help your child understand why we say these prayers. A discussion of some of the odd words they encounter may lead your child to form positive questions regarding the liturgy and help them enter more fully into their worship.

-At the Offertory, be sure to sit where your child can see the bread and wine being brought forward, and explain that in the very early days, families brought bread and wine from their homes.

-Talk about and practice walking to the altar the receive communion, or show your child before how to cross their arms over the chest if they will not receive.

GO!
-Explain to your child how they can now go forth into God's world, taking the Christ we have inside ourselves into the world in which we live.

-Talk to your child about how they can use their gifts in the world.

-Empowered by God's love and affirmed by ours, your child will have lots of ideas about how to share their gifts now that they are assured that they are a part of our life together in this church.