3 minute read
CONNECT WITH OTHERS
Connect WITH ANDREW RAMSBOTTOM | SUNZ Children and Families Consultant OTHERS
If COVID has taught us only one thing, it is that people need other people, as do children. In fact, children need others even more than adults do. It is also beneficial for adults to be connected with children and young people. These connections can keep our faith fresh and can challenge some of the ruts that we can get into as long-term followers for Christ. Is it easy to connect across the generations? No, it isn’t, but it is vital to the life of the church and individual faith. So, what does this look like in a Christian faith context?
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CONNECTING WITH OTHER GENERATIONS
We know that children connect with other generations in their family, in Sunday School or in Kids church environments, which are important for their faith development. However, children also need faith input and modelling from other Christians outside of these contexts. Faith is not just taught, but is also nurtured and grown by interacting with people from other generations through a wider community outside the previously mentioned environments.
The gathering of God’s people on a Sunday is an obvious place to explore this. Most churches have multiple generations present for at least part of the service on Sunday. However, just having the different generations in the same space doesn’t mean that they are connecting and interacting with each other. This means that when multiple generations are going to be together, we need to intentionally plan activities that encourage and help the different generations to connect with each other. Something as simple as having a question
that they share their answer to with someone of another generation sitting next to or near them. Sunday is not the only place where these connections can be fostered. So here are a few places that we may want to consider where we could intentionally connect the generations. This is by no means an exhaustive list. So, you may want to spend some time thinking about your own church and where there might be places where generations are already gathering together during the week. Churches regularly have an evening of prayer to which the whole church is invited. However, this often excludes parents of under 12s, and those who are under 12 themselves. Imagine how much richer the prayer experience could be if it took place on a Sunday morning, when all generations could pray together. Imagine intentionally partnering people from two different generations one on one. Here are some examples. Prayer partners—a mum who is partnered with a grandmother. A retired person connected with a preschooler. A primary schooler who is partnered with an adolescent. Note: This should always be done with the permission of the child's parents. Most churches have home groups that take place during the week. Often children and young people are not included in these. With some thought and a little change, children and young people could very easily
be accommodated too. This gives the younger generations the chance to know that they belong to the faith community, and their faith will grow as the generations share and learn together.
CONNECT WITH OTHERS IN THE LOCAL OR BROADER COMMUNITY
Children may hear about the mission of the church, but they also need to actively be a part of this mission. If they grow up being a part of the service that church offers to those outside the church, then they will be primed and modelled to continue doing this work into their adult years. Again, this does take some careful planning, but children serving alongside parents and people of other generations reinforces the Biblical mandate of romans 12:5, “so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” All the above suggestions will take some effort and intentionality. If your church is not sure where to begin, Scripture Union can help by providing some training and resourcing. Refer to our website or contact our Children & Families Team for more information.
