Children Worship Wonder & Welcome

What is Children Worship Wonder & Welcome?

Children Worship Wonder & Welcome (formerly Children Worship & Wonder) is an exciting way of approaching faith formation with children. In this child-attentive worship encounter, children have the opportunity to hear Bible stories, and form responses out of their own life experiences. They learn the meaning of church traditions and participate in worship practices while cultivating their own relationship with God.

Children Worship Wonder & Welcome is a Montessori influenced program effective with children of all ages, and with all differing abilities and disabilities. Depending on your organization’s needs, it can be used with children as young as three years old, while still speaking to older children and even adults. Faith communities have found a variety of ways to use this ministry, including but not limited to children’s church, children’s church school, evening family gatherings, youth group, and more.

Children Worship Wonder & Welcome celebrates the relationship children already have with God. Using a child-attentive theology, this ministry centers the respect of children as theological beings, recognizing that even very young children are spiritual beings who already know God. Children are not seen as empty vessels for adults to fill with our understanding of God, rather adults are guides who offer space, tools, and language to help children deepen their already existing relationship with God. We trust, that given the opportunity, children will bring their own life experiences to the stories of God and will receive what they need each and every time they interact with the Divine.

Children Worship Wonder & Welcome recognizes the wonderful imaginations of children. Oftentimes there is not enough space for children to use their imaginations. While this is not always, nor the only case, television, videos, and computer games rarely encourage children to fully call upon their own creative possibilities, and there are too few places for children to explore their gifts within quiet and solitude. Faith communities are uniquely equipped to develop these gifts, and foster the creativity given by the One who created us all.

Children Worship Wonder & Welcome is developmentally appropriate, allowing children to use all of their senses and motor skills. These worship experiences include repetition and ritual, which deepens understanding and meaning for all who participate. Children are invited to learn about God while being in the presence of God, because it is indeed a worship experience. It is a chance for adult guides (storytellers & greeters), and participating children to worship together in a way that is meaningful for all.

Children Worship Wonder & Welcome allows this experience regardless of numbers. This program can be done with one child or fifteen children.

Children Worship Wonder & Welcome is a child-attentive worship and faith formation experience for the whole church.