Why do we work with children and young families?
In the life of this church we devote a lot of time and energy to work with children and young families - through Pilots, Junior Church, our various all-age services, our Messy Church events and our support for various uniformed groups which use our premises. Many members of our congregations dedicate much of their time to this work.
But why? Why do we invest heavily in this particular work?
I offer a few thoughts which I hope will help you to think more about this matter.
We work with children and young families, just as we work with older people, because God values them, God is present in them, and we value them - for who they are and, if they feel moved, as participants in the worship of God and God's mission in the world through the life of the church.
It is important to say that we value children and young families for who they are now. Too often children and young families are valued by the church for what they might be in the future (the church of tomorrow), rather than as an integral part of our engagement with God in worship and mission today. To value children and young families today, we must listen to them, hear their voices and let them play a full part in the worship and mission of the church.
We value children and young families because God values them, God is present in them and we have a strong desire to help nurture them in the way of Jesus. A vital part of the mission of the church must always be to share the gospel of God's love with others, and we wish to share with the children and young families associated with the life of our church the values of God's kingdom. We pray that our life styles, our attitudes and every aspect of our daily living may reflect God's values and be attractive to others.
We value children and young families because God values them, God is present in them, and we need to learn more about God from them. We believe that God is able to work through every person, of whatever age - from under 1 to over 100 years of age - and without the contribution of children and young families our lives and the life of the church are incomplete.
Please join me, each day, in prayers for the children and young families in our church and the communities we serve, and all who are involved in leading this important and exciting aspect of our church life.
Elsewhere you will read about work with children and young families through Pilots, Messy Church and our Baby and Toddler Groups..