Goals of Meeting:
1. Presentation: Time to Try Some New Things:
• Children’s Ministry; Parenting Beyond Sunday
2. Invitation to participate
3. Blessing on leaders, volunteers
NOTES
PRESENTATION: TIME TO TRY SOME NEW THINGS
INTRO:
What do we do about these two issues; how do we nurture these roots? Few things we can explore:
INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE
Rather than engage in large group Q&A after the presentation, Pastor Likkel invited anyone interested to come over to the front table to discuss the new Children's Ministry program with himself, Deacon Teresa Elenbaas or Angie R. following the prayer and dismissal.
BLESSING of LEADERS, VOLUNTEERS
To close the meeting, Pastor Likkel invited each of the Children's Ministry leaders, volunteers, parents, grandparents, and finally the entire "spiritual family" of Emmaus Road to stand; a prayer asking for blessing, spiritual support, and guidance was offered as we launch into a new season of ministry.
Throughout year of listening, Pastor able to interview about 90% parents.
• Affirmations: parents/kids participating in Godly Play program report positive experiences w/Matt and Godly Play stories; parents also grateful for relationships between various adults from congregation and children; Groundworks Sunday projects important to children, as well as adults
• Shared concern: from several parents, desire for something during sermon & prayer times on Sunday mornings to be offered for children not quite ready to stay/participate through entire worship service; current Godly Play program during worship great, but geared to younger children (roughly pre-school through 1st/2nd grade); TIME TO TRY SOMETHING NEW
• Regarding Parenting Beyond Sunday, couple specific issues emerged; few ideas for us to explore.
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY; HOW WE ARRIVED AT THIS POINT; WHERE WE GO FROM HERE
After considering concerns voiced during parent interviews, Pastor convened small brainstorm group in July, including Children's Ministry Deacon Teresa Elenbaas, Godly Play team member Rennie Araucto, and Children's Ministry volunteer Angie R.; proposal from this group offered to Council, August 4; Council's main concerns included possible burnout among parent volunteers, since this is a NEW program added to other Children's Ministry activities; Council also affirmed that Emmaus Road values participation of children/youth during worship. Those concerns voiced, Council approved launch of this program on trial basis.
• Program was announced in August eWeeklies
• Sunday, September 18: Godly Play will resume, but only session for younger children during service; the 9:30AM session formerly prior to worship will be suspended, at least temporarily, as we try new program for older kids during worship. Angie R. will lead Big Kids’ Bible Workshop (current name of new program) on trial basis, every other Sunday for several months.
Important: this program is a trial only; Angie and Teresa need help and welcome further input and participation; many details are still being determined. This program can only move forward if a strong handful of volunteers come together as a team.
PARENTING BEYOND SUNDAY
Pastor Likkel listened to Emmaus Road parents talk about how they nurture their children's faith beyond Sunday, as well as ways they remember their own parents modeling faith in Christ; a couple issues emerged. Addressing these issues like nurturing spiritual "roots"; will help strengthen families and church.
• Affirmations: parents/kids participating in Godly Play program report positive experiences w/Matt and Godly Play stories; parents also grateful for relationships between various adults from congregation and children; Groundworks Sunday projects important to children, as well as adults
• Shared concern: from several parents, desire for something during sermon & prayer times on Sunday mornings to be offered for children not quite ready to stay/participate through entire worship service; current Godly Play program during worship great, but geared to younger children (roughly pre-school through 1st/2nd grade); TIME TO TRY SOMETHING NEW
• Regarding Parenting Beyond Sunday, couple specific issues emerged; few ideas for us to explore.
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY; HOW WE ARRIVED AT THIS POINT; WHERE WE GO FROM HERE
After considering concerns voiced during parent interviews, Pastor convened small brainstorm group in July, including Children's Ministry Deacon Teresa Elenbaas, Godly Play team member Rennie Araucto, and Children's Ministry volunteer Angie R.; proposal from this group offered to Council, August 4; Council's main concerns included possible burnout among parent volunteers, since this is a NEW program added to other Children's Ministry activities; Council also affirmed that Emmaus Road values participation of children/youth during worship. Those concerns voiced, Council approved launch of this program on trial basis.
• Program was announced in August eWeeklies
• Sunday, September 18: Godly Play will resume, but only session for younger children during service; the 9:30AM session formerly prior to worship will be suspended, at least temporarily, as we try new program for older kids during worship. Angie R. will lead Big Kids’ Bible Workshop (current name of new program) on trial basis, every other Sunday for several months.
Important: this program is a trial only; Angie and Teresa need help and welcome further input and participation; many details are still being determined. This program can only move forward if a strong handful of volunteers come together as a team.
PARENTING BEYOND SUNDAY
Pastor Likkel listened to Emmaus Road parents talk about how they nurture their children's faith beyond Sunday, as well as ways they remember their own parents modeling faith in Christ; a couple issues emerged. Addressing these issues like nurturing spiritual "roots"; will help strengthen families and church.
- One issue is that of recognizing our role as Christian parents; we are called to care and pray for our children, and communicate faith in word and deed at home and throughout life together in our families. This role not always acknowledged; often parents tempted to turn over faith development of children to others.
- Related to this, other issue for us to address as a church is how our own relationship with God can become transparent to our children; we cannot answer all questions, nor live perfectly as disciples, nor model sainthood always, but we must reveal to our children how Gospel of Jesus, our personal redemption, and presence of his Spirit, impact our lives and relationships
What do we do about these two issues; how do we nurture these roots? Few things we can explore:
- sharing of stories, what seems to be working (or not) in our homes; sharing of favorite resources, books, film, etc.;
- learning events, such as Children in the Faith Community: Continuing the Conversation, Thursday, October 13, 11:30am - 1:30pm, Saint Paul's Episcopal Church, Seattle and Children, Youth and Family Ministry in the 21st Century, Monday, October 24 · 6:30pm - 9:00pm, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Lynwood.
INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE
Rather than engage in large group Q&A after the presentation, Pastor Likkel invited anyone interested to come over to the front table to discuss the new Children's Ministry program with himself, Deacon Teresa Elenbaas or Angie R. following the prayer and dismissal.
BLESSING of LEADERS, VOLUNTEERS
To close the meeting, Pastor Likkel invited each of the Children's Ministry leaders, volunteers, parents, grandparents, and finally the entire "spiritual family" of Emmaus Road to stand; a prayer asking for blessing, spiritual support, and guidance was offered as we launch into a new season of ministry.
