Children and Faith
Commission Ministry # 1
Children and Faith
Theme: How do we reach and connect Christian faith with children (those aged 5 - 11 years) within the context of a community of faith/local church?
Context:
What do we already know?
There are a range of inititatives and activities going on -
traditional base of Junior Church (sometimes run by few with little resource);
occasional all age/family/parade services; mid week clubs; holiday clubs;
some new partnerships and networks and new expressions such as messy church are being developed;
children are being brought by parents and grandparents; some coming solo.
Ongoing training in Child Protection is an issue.
Children often seen as empty/uncritical vessels - a mindset which does not match the questioniong and creative children in today's world.
There are many other offers and demands on a child's time e.g sport, music.
What do we really want to know?
What practical and creative opportunities can local churches offer children. This will include churches of under 40 members to those with 100 to 400 members. We want to consider options for churches in cities and towns. We want to consider options for bigger churches (and smaller) to be creative and engage in partnership. We want to look at what a small church with few or no children can do!
To find out more we wish to ask the following questions -
- Why do you link with children?
- What do you do?
- Who does the work?
- Who do you reach?
- What difference does it make?
- What helps you to do this and keeps you going?
- What support do you have?
What training development needs to happen?
For ministers/workers rather than whole churches. Insight into basic ethos; case study models; outline and peer support on practical steps to set up and run stuff.
How are we going to find this out?
Through an initial reading of core literature and meeting with practitioners, and then through questionnaires and visits to participating churches in Yorkshire.
Approach:
Phase 1 - Listening and Checking - January to July 2007
- Background literature search to look at recent practice, current thinking and its Christian basis in order to clarify the core themes and issues for a positive way forward.
- Outline to ministers at Cober Hill Conference in February 2007.
- Meeting with 3 core practitioners in this area.
- Putting together a questionnaire for completion by Ministers and Childrens Workers.
- Circulate questionnaire to 40 church and receive at least 20 responses.
- Complete a report outlining basis in theology and practice lessons learnt, and contribution the YBA could make in terms of encouragement, resources, training and action.
Phase 2 - Offering Support & Development - August 2007 to December 2008
- Put on a programme of events for support and training
- Offer appropriate resources
- Indentify ongoing input with a smaller number of churches
- Look at longer term action through a key event, and discussions with other partnerships such as the Baptist Union and children's organisations & networks.
This Commissioned Ministry is being delivered by Marcus Bull, released for a certain number of days by Trinity Church, Rawdon. The programme is managed by Graham Brownlee, Regional Minister with the YBA, and supported by a Steering Group.
Check out this page for details of an event being held in March 2009 - details to be released Dec 2008 !!
Graham Brownlee
June 2007