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Sunday Morning Parenting
John Witvliet
The Banner
January 2007

Sunday mornings can be the low point in a kid's week. Tired parents hurry them off to church, where they will count ceiling tiles during a long sermon, sit silently during much of the music, feel uncomfortable around people they don't know, and finish their allotted candy way too soon.

Sunday mornings can also be a highlight for kids, a time to sing favorite songs about God, to listen to compelling stories about what God is doing in the world, to meet a whole community of people who know and love them, and-lest we sell them short-to think thoughts about God and pray prayers that are more profound than most of us adults would give them credit for.

Our goal, obviously, should be to move as far as possible from Scenario 1 to Scenario 2. That takes the collaborative teamwork of parents, pastors, musicians, church school teachers, and congregation members. To imagine what that teamwork might look like, consider the following imaginary letters. Each conveys a vision for children's full, conscious, and active participation in worship and some practical ideas for pulling that off. Not every idea suggested will work for every congregation, of course, but I hope that most congregations will find a few ideas for helping kids to worship more deeply. As you read, consider what adaptations you would make for a letter to your congregation.

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Related Publication
A Child Shall Lead: Children in Worship
A Sourcebook for Christian Educators, Musicians, and Clergy (Choristers Guild, 1999)
edited by John Witvliet