What Exactly is CW&W?

At a young age where children are most open to God’s spirit, it is even more essential that children have an experience of worship, an experience of the living God in a community of people. CW&W creates a community of intergenerational fellowship where both the children’s and adult’s minds, bodies, and spirits, are nurtured and cared for as they worship together.

CW&W is faith formation worship centered approach with storytelling, ritual, and fellowship that is used with children in churches to help them deepen their relationship with God. Children Worship & Wonder can be used during the congregations worship service or during Sunday School. Children Worship & Wonder uses the familiar four-fold order of worship with which many congregations are familiar. To begin, the children come into a special worship space, to a storyteller waiting to greet them. They sit in a circle, surrounded by bible stories made just for them, with all materials at their height. Everything in this special place is accessible to the children. The storyteller leads the children in a time of singing and praise. This coming together of the children follows the first order of worship which is the gathering of God’s people. Next, they will hear one of God’s stories in a storytelling format told with multi-sensory materials that children of different ages, and with different learning styles can enter into and enjoy. As the story is finished the children are invited to share in a time of wonder about the story. They are asked “wondering questions” to help them dive deeper into the meaning of the story and to listen for God’s still voice that is found there. These questions might sound like, “I wonder if the Good Shepherd’s sheep have names?” Or, ” I wonder what it was like to be in the ark for forty days…I wonder if Noah knew that God was with him?” These wondering questions ask the children how they are part of the story and how they are a part of the bigger Christian story. They begin to see the stories in the Bible are their stories too. The children will respond to God’s story and have the chance to respond in a myriad of ways. Response materials are there to help them express their relationship with God.

Children Worship and Wonder from Olivia Robertson on Vimeo.

CW&W Trainers

  • Lisa Engelken, Director Kansas City Region
  • Pat Barton, T3 Trainer Arizona Region
  • Elaine Austin, T3 Trainer Virginia Region
  • Petie McLean, Trainer Kentucky Region
  • Tracy Parker, Trainer Kentucky Region
  • Diana Hodges-Batzka, Trainer Kentucky Region
  • Ruth Winkler, Trainer Southwest Region
  • Kelley Porter, Trainer Kansas City Region
  • Laura Phillips, Trainer Kansas City Region
  • Mary Beth Harper, Trainer Florida Region
  • Debbie Walker, Trainer Ohio Region
  • Julia Jordan-Gillett, Trainer Oklahoma Region
  • Linda Presley, Trainer Indiana Region
  • Kaye Edwards, Trainer Indiana Region
  • Gene Derryberry, Trainer North Carolina/Tennessee Regions
  • Cathy Perring, Trainer Pacific Southwest Region
  • Kanessa Miller Doss, Trainer Alabama/Northwest Florida Region
  • Jane Nettles, Trainer Alabama/Northwest Florida Region
  • Sally Selzer & Christina McFadden, Worship Woodworks

Resources

Upcoming Trainings

Guyton, GA – Guyton Christian Church – May 3-4 Registration

Lexington, KY – Crestwood Christian Church – June 14-15 Registration

Virtual Training – June 14-15 Registration