Sunday, February 22, 2004
At church we use Willow Creek's Children's Church curriculum. I really like it because it uses the small group concept with children and it has really worked at our church here. My group is all boys and we have really gelled together. Today we all went upstairs to watch one of our kids get baptized.
A five year old in my group, Carlos, that was a visitor (and an exact replica to the boy in Stepmom) was scared to walk through church so we held hands and I tried my best to explain what was going to happen. He thought the minister was an angel. Then as the minister was baptizing the kid, Carlos gasped and got really scared. He climbed on my lap and demanded answers to his million questions, right then. Where did that boy go? Was the angel hurting him? Why is he wet? Am I next?
Sometimes we forget that our rituals can be scary and confusing to kids. I know it was so confusing to me when I first started going to church. I let Carlos know that no one was ever going to make him get in the water and that right now he just needed to love Jesus. The look of relief on his face was extremely apparent.
Then when we all got downstairs, all the kids talked about baptism. The kids that were baptized already had mixed emotions. Overheard comments: "I almost drowned and they almost had to use those masks on me to wake up." "I didn't want to do it, but you sometimes have to." "I get baptized every day." We talked about it in our small groups and discussed why God wants us to be baptized and exactly what happens. It was an exciting day.
We can talk about baptism doctrine until we're blue in the face, but it doesn't change the fact that it can be a scary thing for kids, along with many other things about church. Our small group leaders are awesome and we all try so hard to make church a safe, calm, and understandable for all kids, especially visiting kids.
Today has just really made me think again about church from a non-Christian perspective. I don't buy into the shallow "seeker-sensitive" nonsense, but I do agree that church needs to be real and understandable for everyone.
It has also re-ignited my desire to write a book for Young People that do not come from Christian homes. Something that youth ministers could give to young visitors that makes church understandable and meaningful-- along with the Christian life, so that they don't feel like outcasts.
Ok, lighter side note-- My students can't stop singing the Quizno's retarded hamster songs. Well, neither can I . . . Admit it, the absurdity makes you at least smile!
A five year old in my group, Carlos, that was a visitor (and an exact replica to the boy in Stepmom) was scared to walk through church so we held hands and I tried my best to explain what was going to happen. He thought the minister was an angel. Then as the minister was baptizing the kid, Carlos gasped and got really scared. He climbed on my lap and demanded answers to his million questions, right then. Where did that boy go? Was the angel hurting him? Why is he wet? Am I next?
Sometimes we forget that our rituals can be scary and confusing to kids. I know it was so confusing to me when I first started going to church. I let Carlos know that no one was ever going to make him get in the water and that right now he just needed to love Jesus. The look of relief on his face was extremely apparent.
Then when we all got downstairs, all the kids talked about baptism. The kids that were baptized already had mixed emotions. Overheard comments: "I almost drowned and they almost had to use those masks on me to wake up." "I didn't want to do it, but you sometimes have to." "I get baptized every day." We talked about it in our small groups and discussed why God wants us to be baptized and exactly what happens. It was an exciting day.
We can talk about baptism doctrine until we're blue in the face, but it doesn't change the fact that it can be a scary thing for kids, along with many other things about church. Our small group leaders are awesome and we all try so hard to make church a safe, calm, and understandable for all kids, especially visiting kids.
Today has just really made me think again about church from a non-Christian perspective. I don't buy into the shallow "seeker-sensitive" nonsense, but I do agree that church needs to be real and understandable for everyone.
It has also re-ignited my desire to write a book for Young People that do not come from Christian homes. Something that youth ministers could give to young visitors that makes church understandable and meaningful-- along with the Christian life, so that they don't feel like outcasts.
Ok, lighter side note-- My students can't stop singing the Quizno's retarded hamster songs. Well, neither can I . . . Admit it, the absurdity makes you at least smile!
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