Kids Worship

“Jesus said to them: ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’” (Mark 10:14)

Our children's message has become a central part of
weekly worship.  This Sunday, Kids Worship takes the
children's message to a new level.

When I was in seminary, I got to spend a summer interning at a church in rural North Carolina.  On my first visit to the church I was greeted by a church member and her six year old daughter, Hannah.  Hannah was full of life and energy, and she enthusiastically began giving me a tour of the church building.  She showed me her Sunday School room, the fellowship hall, and the playground.

When we came to the end of our tour, I was surprised that she hadn’t shown me the sanctuary.  “Aren’t you going to show me the sanctuary?” I asked.  “Oh, I don’t go in the sanctuary,” Hannah replied. “That room is for grown ups.”

As I got to know some members of the congregation, I realized very quickly that no one ever told Hannah she wasn’t allowed in the sanctuary, or that the worship space was for grown ups only.  No one needed to.  Actions speak louder than words.

In Hannah’s experience every time she walked into the sanctuary she was told to sit quietly, and was always given something else to do – like a coloring book – while the grown ups worshipped.  Hannah believed that the sanctuary was for grown ups because she never felt included or valued in anything that happened in that space.

From that day forward, I decided that I wanted to be the kind of pastor who made sure children understood that the sanctuary is for them, and that worship isn’t just for adults – it’s for the whole people of God.

This Sunday (April 29th), Faith UMC is having its first ever Kids Worship service.  Our 10:00 service will engage children in every aspect of worship.  The kids will not be dismissed part way through the service for Sunday School, and there will be no nursery care.  The children will be part of the entire service.

My hope is that such a time of worship will be inspiring not just for our children, but for our entire congregation.  Together, we have the opportunity to make sure our children know that the sanctuary is not a “grown ups only” space.  It’s a space for the young, the old, and everyone in between.

If you’re an adult coming to worship this Sunday, I hope you’ll come with a child-like spirit, ready and willing to surround, encourage, and support our children as they learn how to sing praise, pray, and engage the scriptures.  If you’re a parent, I hope you’ll let your child know ahead of time that they’re going to have the chance to participate in the service.  They don’t need to prepare anything, but they do need to know that their participation will make God (and the rest of us) smile.

I’ll see you in Kids Worship!

Music for Life

The German philosopher Immanuel Kant referred to music as the “quickening art.”  Music has the incredible ability to bring us to life.  In music we find sounds that capture human emotion, tell our stories, express our feelings, and shape our memories.  It’s amazing how a song learned 20 years ago is so easily remembered when we hear only the first few stanzas.  Music is powerful and life-giving, and without it our lives would be impoverished.  Don’t believe me?  Watch the video above and see for yourself how music brought this old man to life.

            At Faith UMC, we are blessed to have lots of opportunities to be shaped by music.  Whether it’s our choir singing God’s praise on Sunday mornings, or an evening piano recital on our beautiful Steinway, music is one of the primary ways that we experience the presence of God at Faith. 

            Beginning this Sunday, April 15^th, we have the opportunity to use life-giving music to extend the gift of life to others.  “Music for Life” is a three-part concert series at Faith UMC that uses the blessing of music to be a blessing for others.  There is no admission to the concerts, but we do want those who come to make a donation to a life-giving ministry.  Here’s a run down of the series:

1.      April 15^th at 2:00 p.m.  The AeolianWinds perform “Honey I Shrunk the concerto!” to benefit Imagine No Malaria.

2.      May 6^th at 2:00 p.m. The Morningside Trio performs “It’s Beethoven!  I Promise!” to benefit Autism Speaks.

3.      August 19^th at 2:00 p.m. The Rainier Trio performs “The Mozart Effect” to benefit Imagine No Malaria.

I hope that you (and your family, friends, and co-workers) will join us for the concert series.  I think it’s going to be a great way to be “quickened” while supporting these life-changing ministries.

For a more detailed description of each concert, click here.