Children in Worship

Ideas to Involve Children in Worship

 

Covenant Presbyterian Church welcomes all children into the worshipping community. Children learn to worship by worshiping with the congregation Sunday after Sunday. Worship is an important part of each child’s spiritual growth. Below are some tips for parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends to make worship a positive experience.

 

1. Talk about worship at home and prepare your children for what may happen and what you expect of him or her.

2. Allow enough time to get settled and have bathroom visits before the service begins.

3. Sit toward the front of the worship space. While this may seem counter-intuitive, children who can see easily will be more engaged in what is going on. You can always sit on the end of the row so that you can make an easy exit if necessary.

4. Introduce your children to people nearby during the Passing of the Peace and after worship has ended.

5. Make sure your children have a Worship Bulletin (especially if they are a reader). Help your child identify different parts of the service. Let your child underline words he or she can read. Large print bulletins are available at the Welcome Center.

6. Pick from a selection of Children's Bibles for your young ones to read during the service.

7. Pick up a Worship Bag from the Welcome Center. These provide colored pencils, drawing paper, children’s offering envelopes, quiet handheld games, and fidget toys for use as you worship together.

8. Comment on special events happening in worship such as a baptism, communion, and introduction of new members. Point out special banners, visual adornments, or the changes in liturgical colors in the sanctuary and chancel.

9. Children learn worship etiquette by participation. Feel free to whisper to children to teach. Share your own positive feelings about the various parts of the worship service.

10. Encourage your children to take part in the Children’s Time. Parents are always welcome to join their children in the chancel area during this time.

11. Remember that it is hard for children to sit for a long time. Allow children to sit or kneel on the floor and use the pews as a desk if necessary. 

12. Help your children find the scripture lessons in the Bible and follow along as the scriptures are read.

13. Allow children to place your offering or a children’s offering envelope (found in the Worship Bags) in the offering plate.

14. Talk about worship on the way home, at lunch, or during the week. Have everyone in your family make positive observations about what happened during the worship service.

15. Practice prayer at home. Talk about the prayer concerns and pray for them during the week.

16. If children get too disruptive, feel free to take them to the Lounge at the back of the sanctuary where the service can still be viewed and heard. The lounge has a table with drawing materials, books, and other quiet activities for children. Try worship again next week, lengthening the amount of time in worship each week until they are ready for an entire service. 

17. Make Sunday worship a regular part of the time you spend with your children. Let God’s love be evident in your family life the rest of the week.  

Can My Child Share in the Sacrament of Communion?

Communion is celebrated the first Sunday of every month. Covenant has an open communion table and invites and welcomes all children to partake of the bread and grape juice. Parents and guardians decide when their children are ready to celebrate Communion. The Children & Communion booklet gives more information for parents. 

 

What is Kaleidoscope Kids?

Kaleidoscope Kids begins after the Children’s Time in worship and is a program to help 3-year-old through 2nd-grade children learn more about Bible stories from the Hebrew Bible, New Testament, and basic stories from Christian tradition. These stories are shared in a Montessori based curriculum called Godly Play. During their time in the Kaleidoscope, children can also expect to share their joys and concerns, learn a story, reflect on that story together, and use a variety of mediums to share their reflections on the story during individual play time. 

 

Kaleidoscope Check In & Check Out System

After the Children’s Time, parents should walk their children from the sanctuary to the Kaleidoscope Worship Education classroom (C208) and find a clothespin with their child’s name on it from the dry erase board which is outside the Kaleidoscope classroom.  After worship has ended, return the clothespin when picking up your child from the Kaleidoscope classroom. 

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For more information about Covenant's Children's Ministries Programs, contact Megan Berry, Associate Pastor for Children, Youth & Families.