Many churches are experimenting with creative ways of worshipping with kids both in the large worship service and in age-group settings. Here are ten ways real churches are getting creative to enjoy worshiping with kids.
1. The Prayground
By placing kids at the front of the sanctuary, Zion Presbyterian church sends a clear message about the child’s place in the community’s life together. This move has transformed their congregation and brought new life to their church while allowing them to keep the forms of worship that they love. Leaders say that people of all ages are benefitting from this new space.
2. Worship bags
Many churches include worship bags to help children participate in the worship service. These bags are designed not to distract children from worship but to offer them tools to help them engage in and enter into parts of the worship service that may not be as easily accessible. If curated carefully, worship bags can also aid parents as they explain the worship service to their children.
3. Play church
Some churches include a play church in their foyer so that children can “act out” church at times other than during the worship service. This gives kids a chance to make meaning of what they experience during worship. Observant adults might learn something about what children pick up as they watch and participate in worship.
4. Kids service team
Some churches have a kids’ service team where kids can be a part of ushering, greeting, and mentoring opportunities like reading scripture, serving the A/V team, or being on the worship team.
5. Children’s Message
Some churches find a way to explicitly incorporate child-friendly ways of learning and worshiping into congregational worship time. Many churches intentionally highlight this time as an opportunity for everyone to engage with worship in childlike ways. It is often best to focus this time on storytelling or explaining an element of the worship service. Depending on your context, you can also invite the congregation to engage with God creatively or interactively, such as through imaginative prayer, a responsive reading, or a drawing or writing prompt. Consider carefully whether object lessons are accessible to the children in your church.
6. Invite children to lead the congregation
At one church where children leave for the sermon, they spend several weeks learning about various spiritual practices and then lead the congregation in that spiritual practice. For example, they wrote a responsive Psalm and then used it to lead the congregation in the call to worship one Sunday. This is an opportunity for children’s authentic learning and contribution to benefit the congregation.
7. Advent play prompts
This church took a playful approach to its advent series, offering children costumes and props and providing a play prompt in each service to invite children to imagine the stories of Jesus’ birth during the worship service.
8. Kids Bulletins
Several churches have created a kid’s version of the bulletin that has helpful illustrations, explanations, and information that helps kids (and anyone, really!) follow along with the flow of the service.
9. Something for everyone
Churches that want to be more intentional about incorporating all generations in worship can use this helpful phrase from Sarah Bently Allred. In a workshop describing intergenerational worship planning, she said their team always tried to have “something for everyone, not everything for everyone.” Congregations would do well to reflect on their order of service and to see if everyone in their congregation can access and participate in the service. If not, what reasonable changes or accommodations can be made? Is there at least one time in the service when there is something for each group of people?
10. Kids Card
Putting a card in the pews or seatbacks keeps the church’s attitude towards children clear and present in everyone’s mind. These kinds of cards indicates the church’s high value of children and encourage everyone in the congregation to actively participate in welcoming children to the church. Download and print our card to help nurture a culture of valuing and including children in your church!
Think about it!
Which one of these ideas is most inspiring to you? Which one could you try in the next month? Which idea would you add from your own context?