It’s nice to see Gareth and the other children at ease in BLC. Looking at the mats reminds me of this was the season we started the first round of implementing ideas from Godly Play.

Children are important to us. In many ways, we learned along the way as many of our members have been giving birth throughout BLC’s 10 years.  May Chin and I included, we have three (is enough!) 🙂 Gareth now 8, Elysia is 5, and Ewan will turn 3 in November.

Children are not “empty vessels” where we flood them with a ton of moral values, or spiritual information, and what we think is best for them.  They are created in the image of God, and yes, they are “sinners” like us, but in many ways we are often surprised at how they are able to relate to God, and allow the Spirit to work in and with them.  One is also amazed how the Scripture and particularly the narrative portions are able to shape their imaginations and open up conversations that we adults need to reconsider too.

For those of us facilitating children’s ministry, and having a desire to nurture our children in the Christian faith, we need to have a strong awareness of our own faith development.  Ministry is always at least a two way street between those of us who are serving and those whom we serve.  I’d like to add a strong third dimension less we are reduced to a mere human to human interaction.  The third dimension is the God factor, the mystery factor, and more specifically the dance of the Triune God in the space we have opened up before us and within us.  This is most challenging and rewarding when we are working with children.

And for that to happen, we need to be ready for change, or to use a more biblical term, “repent”.