A Note from Rev. Nicole Chapman-Farley & the Christian Education Committee
We are so excited that the sanctuary has a Wiggly Worship Space set up at the front of the piano side of the sanctuary. We plan to experiment with engaging our littlest fellow worshippers in this space for the combined summer services in the sanctuary and into the school year on Sundays when there is no Sunday School. (The chapel already has a similar space in the back.)
Two tables are set up where kids can see clearly what is happening in worship, and where families can sit nearby to share in worship with their children. Children of all ages and stages can participate in the service in developmentally appropriate ways. The tables are set to keep them engaged and involved in what’s happening around them. Families are encouraged to sit nearby so kids can see them sing, pray, and learn, and then learn themselves how to engage and participate in our tradition’s worship experiences.
You may be asking, “but why?” We wholeheartedly believe this kid-friendly space is an accommodation just like our hearing aid loop, large-print Bibles, and accessible doors and restroom stalls – each a demonstration of our hospitality and a way to be sure to include all ages and abilities of our church family in the worship of the God who made us.
Another answer to the “why” is that we know kids (and adults) learn best through repetition and ritual. A professional in children’s worship, DeDe Bull Reilly, explains, “[Kids] also understand and remember things better when they have something to do with their hands. If their hands are busy, their minds are calm…and learning. Children find plenty to see, hear, touch, and sometimes taste, all that is involved in the worship of our Great God. They pick up the language of worship, the customs of gathering as Christians…to encourage one another.”
We know any change can be uncomfortable, and this change will likely be no different. I, along with the Christian Education committee, are glad to sit with you in your discomfort. We also invite you to bring your curiosity with you into this new way of sharing worship with the very same little ones whom Jesus lifted up as models of the greatest faith. After worship find out more about their experiences with questions like, “Was there any part of the service where you felt especially close to God today?” or “What was your favorite part of church?” and even “Was there anything that didn’t make sense to you today?” Be willing to share your answers to those questions, too!
