Time for Change?

A group of educators met last week in Cascade and one of the topics we discussed was participation. How do we get children and adults to come to church and be part of the education programs? Molli told a story that got me thinking. She mentioned that in their church’s GEMS group only 4 girls out of the 9 girls who could participate came to the meetings. One of the leaders asked “Do we do this for only this small number of girls? What should we do differently so the other girls will participate?” Molli’s response was “Why do the girls who don’t come control the agenda?”

I thought that was a good question. Do the people who choose to stay home have the ability to control programs? Should we change to get more people to come out or should we ask the people who come what they want to do? We often focus on the people who don’t come. Sometimes their lack of participation has nothing to do with our programs – they’re too busy with other things or they have family obligations that conflict, for example. There are lots of things that might keep them away. And what if they just don’t like the programs? Should we change it from something that some people DO like just to try to get a bigger crowd?

So… when do you change the program? Isn’t attendance a clear indicator that it is time for a change? Is there a time when low attendance is not used as an indication of a time to change the program?

I’d love to see some comments.

So Much More

Today I met with a group of church educators who work with adults. An interesting time in the discussion was when we were wondering about spiritual hunger. Is there a spiritual hunger? Are people too busy to have time to hunger after a spiritual life? It seems that once a person has turned 18 years old that they think they don’t need church education. Is the preaching on Sunday enough?

My grandfather used to buy theological books. Did he have more time to read? Did he feel that he had to safeguard the churches theology more than we do now? Is it is sign of our busy lives that we don’t think about church education?

Deb’s Rienstra’s new book So Much More was mentioned. Just the title is intriguing in that it challenges us to think, learn and live life as Christian with an attitude that there is so much more for us to do and learn. We serve a great God and our knowledge of him shouldn’t stagnate.

Is Children’s Worship too expensive? If wooden figures could talk...

Recently a new member in our congregation marveled at the expense of the Children’s Worship program. She wondered if the wooden figures were worth the expense. She suggested that we could just use clothespins or paper figures.

As I thought about this I picked up one of the wooden figures. It has been used in our church for almost 20 years. The wood has changed color from age and finger oils. I wondered how many children and how many worship leaders had used that figure to tell a Bible story. Some of the first children to use this figure are graduating from college this year. Some of them went on to be helpers in our program, then leaders. Now they are moving on to other churches and bringing what they learned with them.

Many years ago our church made a financial investment -- shelving, figures, fabric, larger classrooms, etc. If this was just a one year program then the money probably wouldn’t be worth it. But this program has been here for an entire generation. These figures have given many leaders, helpers and children an opportunity to gather around and experience the stories of God together. It is in a richer worship experience for the whole church because we are thinking about and involved in worship. The figures were a bargain.

Adult Education

At a recent gathering of church educators, one educator was commenting about the lack of commitment by the adults to church education. How do we get parents to stop dropping off their children for church education and get the parents to attend? Parents are teaching their children that church education is only for the children. How do help adults value church education? How do we get parents to include church education for themselves in their busy schedule?

Girl’s Club

Our church’s Girl’s Club (we call it Joy Club) consists of 20 girls in 3^rd to 8^th grade from a core city environment. We have a hard time finding materials that speaks to all the girls. We’ve looked at several curricula and still haven’t found one to use. We haven’t been able to find one that really fits the girls who we have attending our girls club. For example, one curriculum focused on talking at home about faith with their mothers and fathers. A number of our girls come from families that do not have a church home and some don’t live with their parents. One of our girls was taken away from her mother for neglect. She lives with her grandparents. We need to be sensitive to her and the other girls in our group as we chose curriculum. Another curriculum talks about playing with American girl dolls. First of all, these dolls aren’t inexpensive. They’re out of the league of more than a few of the girls we serve. Also, though, some of our girls are taking care of real babies. At least two of our girls talks about taking care of their older sister’s baby. We have a pretty wide range of experience in a pretty small group and this makes finding a curriculum a real issue for us.

I’m sure we are not unique in this setting. I wonder how other educators are meeting these challenges. Any suggestions about curriculum for a group like this are appreciated

Teaching the catechism

Trying to make the catechism meaningful to teens is tough. I think the questions and answers from the catechism become even more meaningful the more you study them and the more you hear them. Of course, it could be that just getting older (and wiser?) helps. Maybe many of us appreciate things like the catechism more as we get older. There is a reassuring sense of oneness to hear other Christians respond to “What is your only comfort in life and death?”

As a denomination, the pastors aren’t preaching from the catechism as often as they used to. Does this mean that catechism study is less valuable than it used to be? Should the catechism still be taught to young people? If so, what is the best place for that, youth group, church school, Wednesday night programs?

If we do think teaching the catechism is important, what format is most effective? Do the same materials work for teens as well as adults? What materials have worked well for you? What format do you use? A catechism weekend retreat? Weekly church school?

I would appreciate hearing from other educators.

Ministry is messy!

I could run the perfect program. I could plan, prepare, make signs and make the perfect program happen. But then I would be planning, preparing, and making signs. Okay, I make signs. And I take great pleasure in how centered, colorful and helpful my signs are. I also plan and prepare. But the perfect program has never happened.

The perfect program is only in my mind. Unfortunately my mind isn’t perfect. Maybe I should say fortunately. Because what happens in my programs isn’t perfect. Children and adults are talking to each other. A child leaves just as the story hits the pinnacle to go to the bathroom. I say ministry is relational but sometimes I forget and try to run the perfect class. God isn’t concerned with gorgeous crafts and perfectly behaved children. He is concerned about my relationship with him and the children seeing God’s hand on me. Our church’s children run in the hall, climb the hall walls, and even drink punch in the nursery! They are spontaneous, energetic, and love their God. They don’t sing on pitch and they climb on the cupboards. They would rather make paper airplanes then draw pictures. These children are challenging and fun and I have the privilege of working with them to further God’s kingdom.

SO my perfect program won’t happen. But what does happen builds the faith of the children and the adults of my church. I get the opportunity to make a place for this to happen. Whenever these people meet and talk about God and tell the stories from the Bible, good things happen. I can’t control the children. I can’t control the adults. It reminds me of when I put my babies in the crib at night after a long day. I would put the baby in bed and pray, “Lord, I did my best today. Now you may take over while I get some rest.” In children’s ministry I do my best and then the Lord takes over. His design is always better than mine.

Getting Started

I hope this can be a place for discussions about church education.