Fun Weekend

Taking seventeen 10 and 11 year olds up north this weekend with a small team for teaching on the theme of "Awesome God" and of course the usual fun, games, crafts, dvd, popcorn, angels and mortals, teaching, worship, discussion........one weekend like this is worth - I am convinced - HUNDREDS of hours of "Sunday School" time, when children are perhaps hurried out of the service to be looked after a la IKEA creche mode, with things to watch/make/listen to/run about doing until the bell tolls at midday and their parents come to collect them, having had their spiritual fill....

I'm NOT being cynical, but isn't that a fair description of how we do children and church in many of our places now?

I want to push the boat out a little and teach these youngsters that they are "CHURCH" now - armed and dangerous warriors, whose life, witness, prayers and action can have effect NOW (and ooooooohhh I love it when we do all this all ages together........)