By Beth Williams Minister of Religious
Education

To help make these meaningful events for all of us, I share this adapted version of "A Guide for Adults Who Worship with Children," written by my colleague Andrea Lerner, the Director of Religious Education at the First Unitarian Church of Orlando, Florida.

WORSHIP IS A TIME:

For the gathering of our church family.

Set apart to consider things of worth and value.

To come home to ourselves.

CHILDREN:

Are important members of our faith community. They are welcome here.

Just like adults, children learn by doing and experiencing firsthand. We believe it is important for children to participate in whole church worship. They may not understand everything that happens, but we believe they will absorb bits and pieces, as well as the sense of being valued and welcomed.

We also know that it is tough for some children to sit still for long! So we offer the following suggestions to parents and other caregivers, and to the gathered congregation.

A MESSAGE TO PARENTS AND OTHER CAREGIVERS:

Get settled with your children as early as possible. Consider sitting near the front—children who can see what is happening feel more involved.

Review the order of service and help children understand what will be happening. Share the hymnal and order of service at your child’s eye level. Line words with your finger for younger readers or whisper each line before it is sung.

Feel free to quietly whisper instructions to help children learn worship etiquette.

Your infant or toddler is equally welcome in our service. If you prefer, you may escort your child to the Polly Schaad Nursery, where you may stay for as long or as little as you like. Our sound system broadcasts the worship service into the Nursery.

You and your family are important here.

A MESSAGE TO THE CONGREGATION:

Greet children as well as adults. Be as intentional about knowing children’s names as you are about the adults’ names.

With parents, or other caregivers’ permission, occasionally invite a child to sit with you during worship.

Have expectations of children and encourage them to behave appropriately during worship. For example, expect them to be quiet during prayer or meditation; encourage them to participate in the offering by passing the basket to them and not just over them.

When children share their thoughts, respond to them as participants in worship—not as performers; laugh with them, not at them.

Be understanding if parents and caregivers need to take younger ones out of worship and then return.

Be patient with the learning process—it won’t always be smooth!

Open yourself to what you can learn from our children as well as what you might be able to teach them.

December Calendar Events

Friday, December 18: Intergenerational Holiday Caroling at Montgomery Place, 7:00 p.m.

Sundays, December 6–20: "Being a Unitarian Universalist Parent," Adult R.E., 11:30 a.m., Searchers Room