In doing so, I think it strongly informs the regular congregation and guests that teaching and including the young people is a vital element of the meeting time.
But, the way I give kid’s talks changed a lot over a decade.
Originally, my kid’s talks were very one-sided.
I’d talk.
I’d refer to the prop or activity.
Over time, I discovered a secret.
Questions.
First of all, while encouraging those with kids to sit near the front (so the kids can see what’s going on), I wouldn’t split them from their families by inviting the kids down the front on a Sunday morning.
Why?
Because I want the kids, parents and entire congregation to engage with my question.
This, I believe is the key to intergenerational worship.
Let them wonder together.
Allow them to talk.
Give them space to share their stories.
By punctuating your kid’s address with a question, vitally, you open the door for further conversations.
For example, a few weeks ago I did a short address before my local congregation about what I would be doing with the youngsters during church.
In doing so, I referred to my prop, explained how it connected to my greater point, and asked the congregation to share a story linked to my object.
In this case, my question was… “How is God like a chicken plate?”
In context, this makes complete sense (trust me!).
But, most importantly, this question opened up conversations after the service.
Now, the adults could pose this question to each other and to the youth they bump into after church.
Now, the default query “was kid’s church fun/good/exciting?” can be replaced by a far deeper, more informed question.
As I wrote here, most ministers would gain a lot be doing a series of kid’s talks. With this, the way they communicate theology (simply!) and elicit further conversation, would improve many a Sunday sermon.
No comments:
Post a Comment