Children’s Worship Aids

Whether you bring children to worship or not, you probably have noticed the small tree with rainbow bags hanging on it right next to the Welcome Center. These bags are provided for kids (of any age) to help them engage in worship more fully. Kids are more kinesthetic than adults, and often need something to keep their hands busy while they’re in worship. Teens and adults can be kinesthetic listeners too, and some might benefit from having a fidget, and drawing pad, or a knitting project in their hands while they listen to the sermon. Kinesthetic learners can actually process what they’re hearing better when their bodies are active, and kids are highly kinesthetic people! 

The rainbow bags include crayons, pipe cleaners, blank pages, and coloring pages. There are also fidgets and stuffies available for kids to choose from. All of these items are neutral- blank slates with which kids can create their own experience of worship, rather than be distracted from worship.  Right next to the bags, we keep a small rack of Bibles and seasonally appropriate books, as well as kids bulletins that follow the day’s worship theme. This is all available to help us live into our value of nurturing a Living Faith in our youngest worshippers. Just like older worshippers, kids are in church to have an experience of the living God, and to apply that experience to their lives. Having items that engage their hands and minds in unique ways tells kids that we value them and the experience they have in worship. 

All of us are valued as a part of the worshiping community. What would help you engage better in worship? Should you sit closer to the front? Do you need an assistive listening device? Might you want to bring your knitting with you to keep your hands active? God welcomes us all where we are, and it is our job as the church to meet each other there, and to help each other have a joyful experience of the living God each time we worship together.