Kids Own Worship

OCTOBER 2010 PARENT UPDATE

Deuteronomy 30:20 'Love the LORD your God, listen to his voice.'

Pre-K and K children participating in KidsOwn worship training are now in their 4th week of study.  We have discussed where we worship, who we worship and that we need to listen and obey in worship.  One exercise you can do with your children at home to help them learn to listen while at church is to play listen & obey games.  Play 'Stare Wars' (yes stare not star).  Name one of your children the 'Jedi Stare Warrior' and seat them in a chair with an instruction to stare at an object across the room.  Tell her/him that he/she should not look away or laugh while you try to distract her/him.  Have siblings watch and take turns being the Jedi Stare Warrior.  Then do silly things behind or in front of the Jedi.  Your only rule is that you cannot touch him/her.  It will help if you can get the siblings to laugh.  Then talk about how it takes concentration to listen.  On Sunday, tell your children to pretend they are Jedi Stare Warriors in church.  Give them something specific to listen for—such as a particular word that the preacher is repeating often.  Keep tally marks of the word as it is spoken.  You'll be surprised how well your little ones can listen!  

Still to come is learning to pray in worship, special observances in worship and responding as a part of worship.  Check back for more activities to help your child learn to worship the Lord!

  is a six week training class, offered during the last half of worship starting the Sunday after labor day each year  for children four years through kindergarten on the various elements of worship and why we do what we do.  The curriculum used is "The Way of the Child" written by Wynn McGregor and published by Upper Room Books.  Children will attend worship with their parents and then be dismissed at a specified time for KidsOwn Worship.

  empowers parents to be active participants in teaching their children to worship by providing worship tools to help children participate in the adult corporate worship setting—not to be entertained but to worship. The Family Booklet helps support families and gives parents tools to use as they talk to children about spiritual matters.  The booklet will also help families integrate spiritual awareness into their daily lives. It explains to parents what is happening 

  desires to be more inclusive of our children as worship leaders. Our staff works toward incorporating our children as worship leaders by enlisting them to be used as ushers, greeters, prayer leaders, music leaders and scripture readers in our services more frequently. This will help children learn by example that they are a significant part of God's kingdom and His covenant congregation.

  helps parents and our congregation need to understand what children miss when they are not a part of the corporate worship setting:

• Participation or observation of communion.
• The covenant church's response to individuals making commitments to Christ for the first time.
• Baptisms.
• Parents and significant other adult role models modeling behaviors such as giving an offering, praying, reading the Bible, worshipping through music.
• Participating with the rest of the corporate church in praying for one another and our church body.

The challenge to respond to God's Spirit every week from the worship they have participated in and the message they have heard

Register Now!