I have been putting together an all age service for this weekend. I have always had a real desire to bring different generations together towards a common goal of worshipping our God. I love being part of it and I think it's important. Too often in our society today we are split down into our separate age groups. The "day care" mentality! (NB I'm not dissing Sunday programmes; most weeks we do this too! 3-5s go to one room, 6-7s, another room, and so on...but I love it when we are all together)
I became a Christian at age 14 with no support or back-up from my family; in fact I faced out-and-out opposition to the life changes I was making. I learned so much from being part of a big church family. I was taught, nurtured, mentored, equipped and held tight by this local congregation, where I still am.(Interestingly - but unsurprisingly! - God worked changes in me; I grew to love my biological family even more some years after I became a Christian when I appreciated all that they had done for me. Man, imagine having to bring me up!)
An older woman in the congregation (who was probably only about 45 at the time, but seemed ancient then!) had a real calling to encourage me, write to me, check I was OK, pray for me through O Grades, Highers and University and still to this day checks how I am doing. A number of the key leaders came to the youth group to teach, pray, mentor (and occasionally discipline!!) my peers and I, under the loving direction of our minister.
I felt so much love and acceptance from those who were older than me.
With all my heart I want this for the children I work with today in this same church family. To love and honour the older generations as the children in turn are loved and nurtured by those more senior in years.
Yes. there are so many of us who appreciate what you do on a Sunday. Many of our kids look forward to it all week!!!
ReplyDeleteSunday should be cool.
We are praying for you!!!
Dear anonymous,
ReplyDeleteI am very touched by your post. I don't know who you are but thank you for posting so kindly!
This isn't false modesty - only the statement of true facts - I cannot take the credit! I am paid to do something I love, and as a result most of the time I feel privileged.(I do have the odd moany phase; have got to be honest) But my job wouldn't work without the 50+ volunteers, of the highest calibre - who serve week in and week out, and many of them for years and years, to love, teach and serve children and their families.
They're all brilliant!
I'm looking forward to Sunday even more now! I agree we need to be a bit more inter-generational sometimes. It makes me sad when people who don't have young children stay away from all-age services, thinking it's "just for the kids". However, I believe that this thinking should challenge those of us who come to church as a family unit to do more to "extend" our families & include single people, students, older people etc. I'm speaking to myself here, because I could do a lot more in this area. Thanks for the challenge!!
ReplyDeleteHow about inter-interested as well as inter-generational groupings? Really worry about unnatural divisions of age - think we need to be more adventurous as to how we organise and strcuture things. How did the all age service go? Well I hope!
ReplyDeleteHi anon
ReplyDeleteI am very interested in finding out more about what you mean about inter-interested groupings, as I am not sure that I understand. IS it like getting people who want to do some intercession together, despite their different ages, putting them all together?
Sounds good, a bit like what I grew up with through my teens, as I said before, being fed and watered by interested adults with whom I shared a common bond.
Thanks for your post and I look forward to finding out more :)
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