Christian Formation

 

SEAL 1-2Diocese of Eastern Michigan

Ministries Resource Center Directory (A Lending Library)

Subject: Christian Formation

Topic: Children in Worship

Children in Worship

 

                           The following items are located at the Diocesan Center, Saginaw:

Ministries Resource Center Home

Anglican/Episcopal Church

Christian Formation

Congregational/ Leadership Development

Ecumenism/Evangelism

Music and Worship

Peace & Justice Ministries

Bible/Prayer/Sacraments

Stewardship/Mission and Outreach

Youth

 

 

 

An Introduction to Godly Play Theory

Children in Worship

Vacation Bible School

 

 

Curriculum:

Preschool

Elementary Education

Youth

Adult Formation

Adult Resources     

All Ages 

 

 

 

Diocese of Eastern Michigan Home

 

Awake My Soul: A Liturgical Resource for use with Children and Adults - Julia R. Huttar Bailey, & Ernesto R. Medina, ed.  ECUSA-Office for Children’s Ministries, New York NY; 2000

This resource offers congregations ways to live and worship intergenerationally. Included are a delightful order of morning worship, many methods to include children and visitors in the service, a listing of kid-friendly hymns, and clever ways to do readings plus much more! If you’re looking for more meaningful ways to include children and youth in worship, Awake My Soul   is wonderful!

 

Children at Worship; Congregations in Bloom - Caroline S. Fairless, Church Publishing Inc; 2000

Contains a mix of theory about why children should be an integral part of worship and practical ways to include them in the worship of the congregation. Includes stories about children and pictures of their art in response to hearing about God. Sidebars include many short observations and allow space for writing in comments. Creative and exciting ways to include children in the full work and worship of the church. 2 copies

 

Children’s Church Specials – Group Publishing, Loveland CO; 1998

This book provides 15 activities and worship, some general and a few focusing on Advent or Easter. The activities are intended for groups of children with a wide age range, but could also be done with intergenerational groups with minimal adaptation. Each lesson contains a period of praise, an activity, and a period of prayer to close; all patterns are included. Specific songs are suggested for each praise section, but the authors also suggest choosing your own music if desired. 

 

45 Ways to Involve Children in Worship – Dorothy Henderson, Presby  Church of Canada; 1997

This is basically a list of things to do to include children in worship, but it is divided into ideas for different people to use for this to happen: worship planners, worship leaders, and parents. The introduction discusses “why” include children, and there is a list of resources towards the end of the book. Helpful for those who are considering having children in worship and for those seeking new ways to include children.

 

Including Children in Worship – Elizabeth J. Sandell, Augsburg, Minneapolis MN; 1991

The first half of this book is related to “why” we include children in our worship; the second half offers many practical ideas to actually include the children in the worship service.

 

The Church of All Ages – Howard Vanderwell, ed, Alban Institute; 2008

This book looks primarily at how a congregation can include children in its worship and service; Vanderwell talks a bit about the history that brings this question and then about some of the development that occurs for both children and adults during their lifetime. He then gets into some of the very practical questions about including children of all ages and making worship comfortable not only for children and their parents but also for the rest of the congregation. He emphasizes the importance of “story” and a well crafted sermon, as well as factors that worship planners need to take into account. The author comes from a tradition that is not as liturgical as the Episcopal Church, but most of what he and the other writers offer can be applied to our situation. The book has an excellent collection of suggested resources & also suggestions for using the book as a group study.

 

 

 

For more information or to borrow a particular item, contact Marnie Bash,

Coordinator, Ministries Resource Center: mpbash@ameritech.net or 989-839-9364.