To Walk with a Child : Putting Fun into Faith

Why is it that, though we were all children once, we find it so hard to know how to engage and enthuse today’s children to grow in faith? Whether at school, in church or in our homes many of us feel the need for inspiration and guidance to help our children explore their spirituality. Which is why so many   flocked to the recent diocesan conference which offered ideas and advice ‘To walk with a child’. Here, diocesan children’s adviser Jenny Hyson reflects on a day packed with laughter, heartsearching and surprises.

SOMETIMES when you plan an event you start with the outline but on this occasion it was the title which came first.  When the Bishop of Dorchester, the Rt Revd Colin Fletcher, first asked me to put on a conference for those working with children (and also include children) my thoughts turned to how we could hold the tension of children being present and yet not marginalised. 

The title came to mind while driving back from a meeting one evening: ‘To Walk with a Child’, and from that the seed of a plan that was to culminate in the conference one cold Saturday in March this year in Marlborough School, Woodstock. 

We had lots of ideas of ways to inspire and encourage people in their efforts to help children grow in faith in their church and wider communities. But how many people would be attracted to such an event? Would they be willing to give up precious free time at the weekend?

We needn’t have worried. With just over three hundred adults and one hundred children booked into the conference we were soon full to capacity! 

As the day began there was a palpable air of expectation, and perhaps some trepidation at what might lie ahead. 

Our goal was to bring together adults and children as much as possible to explore possibilities and concepts together and learn from each other.

After the initial welcome and worship the adults left the main area to go to their seminars. The only point in the day when grown-ups and children were separated. Meanwhile the children were soon singing, dancing, engrossed in the high octane antics of Christian entertainer John Hardwick’s ‘Cool and Crazy Praise Party’.

After that first hour adults and children, walked, played, talked and learned together through  the rest of the day, choosing from a wealth of 30 workshops on offer.

The three main streams were: Children in the Church; Children in Worship and; Developing Church and School Links.

Workshops within those streams included sessions on everything from breakfast clubs, helping children feel it is their Church, to the challenge of ‘tweenagers’, praying, exploring the opportunities of baptism and Holy Communion.

Hands-on workshops were very popular, with a chance, among other things, to learn more about Godly Play, pick up story-telling techniques, and play with puppets.

Lunchtime in the Market Place was a buzz of excited chatter as, over lunch, groups exchanged stories of what they had been doing that morning. Then, after a quick look at the resources and interactive displays it was time to find their afternoon activities. 

All too soon the day was drawing to a close with everyone gathering back in the main hall for our farewell worship and some photographic reminders of the day.

It was as we watched the images on the big screen that I knew the seed from that car journey had borne fruit. The expressions on the faces said it all, from grandparents to toddlers all were focused on getting as much out of the day as possible. It was clear that the adults had had as much fun with puppets as the children, as well as dealing with the serious business of keeping rhythm with the amazing Psalm Drummers. Sometimes the adults were encouraging the children and sometimes it was    clearly the children showing the way.

All would be going home tired but hopefully inspired with new knowledge and ideas. 

But a day like Saturday is only part of the story, the challenge now is to work with that same intention week by week in our churches and wider lives, looking for ways of integrating children into the heart of church mission and strategy, seeking oportunities for establishing good links with local schools, and creatively exploring ways of bringing the children into the heart of our worshipping communities, for as we welcome the children so we welcome Christ.

Thoughts on the Day