Every third Sunday we are exploring worship in more depth with our 5-11s- what it is and how we can do it! Read our previous post on multisensory worship to see what we have been up to so far!
This month we decided to take things a step further and to introduce 'worship journals' This was Tanya's creation and she spent a lot of time getting them ready for the children to use so thanks Tanya!!
These are the introductory pages in each child's journal (the journal is an ordinary exercise book with these pages stuck in). They remind the children of the multisensory ways we have used so far to look at worship.
After we had given the journals out, we spent some time listening to worship music and looking at the words as the singing happened. We then kept playing music and let the children respond by joining in, drawing, writing or exploring other stations such as the building station. Most of the children chose to use their journals to record what God was saying to them, which words stood out for them in the songs or what They were inspired to think about and say about God. Here are some examples that the children were happy to share (none of this was initiated by adults- we just let them get on in their own way and a lot of the time, apart from the background music you could have heard a pin drop!)
The children are fascinated by communion and, after we shared some bread in our first worship session, have insisted in each worship session that has followed that we share bread again! This time, Tanya made a person shape with bread to represent us being part of the body of Christ and this time the children decided to pass the plate round, take a small piece and say thank you to God for something before eating it.
We have been so encouraged by these sessions and can't wait to see where they take us next!
This month we decided to take things a step further and to introduce 'worship journals' This was Tanya's creation and she spent a lot of time getting them ready for the children to use so thanks Tanya!!
After we had given the journals out, we spent some time listening to worship music and looking at the words as the singing happened. We then kept playing music and let the children respond by joining in, drawing, writing or exploring other stations such as the building station. Most of the children chose to use their journals to record what God was saying to them, which words stood out for them in the songs or what They were inspired to think about and say about God. Here are some examples that the children were happy to share (none of this was initiated by adults- we just let them get on in their own way and a lot of the time, apart from the background music you could have heard a pin drop!)
On this last one, one of the children,trying to find a 'v' word for her acrostic poem asked me what 'vulnerable' meant. When I explained she decided that it fitted in the sense of us being vulnerable to God's love, so she included it!
The children are fascinated by communion and, after we shared some bread in our first worship session, have insisted in each worship session that has followed that we share bread again! This time, Tanya made a person shape with bread to represent us being part of the body of Christ and this time the children decided to pass the plate round, take a small piece and say thank you to God for something before eating it.
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