Due to my vast experience as a public school educator (I've now substituted for one Kindergarten class and one 2nd grade class on recent days off from the church), I now feel qualified to proclaim some universal truths about children that I suspected as a Children's Minister and as a parent:
- Kids crave routine AND crave spontaneity. It's a both/and. The key is managing expectations and some consistency even when changes occur. (A shout out to our AMAZING team of Sunday School volunteers and Choir Directors who made this weird year of Children's Choir & Sunday School so meaningful for all ages - whether it was 30 degrees outside or felt like a sweltering 80 degrees inside with our masks!) And yes, much to my own daughter's dismay, we WILL be offering some Summer Sunday School options for the sake of consistency & routine in our faith formation!
- Caring adults who know a child's name means a lot. I've seen my own kids' eyes light up when a church member says hello and I think Kindergartener Kyle said it best when I said hello to him in the hallway last week, "You ACTUALLY remember my name?!" And of course, we honor at Glenn that knowing a person's pronouns mean a lot, too.
- Kids are never too old to enjoy singing silly/fun songs. From 'tweens rolling their eyes at me, yet heartily singing, "If you know you’re God's creation clap your hands!" at our Wonderfully Made event to the 2nd graders on Earth Day proudly spelling out E-A-R-T-H to the tune of B-I-N-G-O, I may not be able to carry a tune in a bucket, but we can make important life lessons stick by sticking them with a tune!
- Kids are eager to learn and to teach. Whether it's Earth Day facts or to tell you how their real teacher or their grandparents or parents do something, kids of all ages are truly sponges for knowledge and then faucets for sharing all they have soaked up. I'm looking forward to our Summer Family Faith Builders for kids and their grownups to learn Bible stories together!
- Prizes are a universal love language. So yes, I will continue to offer trinkets, candy, crafts, and occasional giftcard give-aways to help incentivize making coming to church a habit, a consistent routine that I believe is foundational to our faith formation.
- Kids love to help others in meaningful ways. Whether passing out supplies or collecting food donations for the food pantry, even the youngest kiddos crave purpose and meaning. So we will keep helping our children live out their faith in tangible ways of loving God and loving neighbor. (You can bring food pantry donations anytime to Glenn for Intown Collaborative Ministries and there is currently a children's clothing collection happening at Toco Hills Community Alliance!)
- We all have a talent to share! If the exciting rounds of show & tell, well, show and tell us anything, it's that every one has a gift worth sharing with others. A song, a joke, a cartwheel, solving a math problem, a long spelling word, juggling, a soccer kick, or more. I hope you'll encourage the kids in your life to share their talent this Sunday morning and join us in cheering on our young friends, whether they are confident or shy.
- Hugs win! I think I've been so careful with not sharing germs during the pandemic, that I'm out of the habit of offering hugs to those who want an embrace. During both of my days substitute teaching, I had several students come to offer goodbye hugs at the end of the day and I'm tearing up just thinking about how special it is to share an embrace.
"And Jesus took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them." -Mark 10:16:
Here's to calling your child(ren) by name, singing silly songs together, learning, teaching, sharing prizes, helping others, sharing our talents and hugs together soon!
-Rev. Susan