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There are many journeys we will take in our lives—to school, to the supermarket, on holiday... Have you ever wondered about our whole lives being a journey and what the actual destination is? As Christians, we may find ourselves with differing destinations, or at least differing language for what is the same journey. My point is to think about not getting stuck, not thinking you have arrived, but to consider where you are heading and the journey that is involved.
I am reminded of a song I grew up singing ‘The Servant Song,’ and these words in particular:
We are pilgrims on a journey We are travellers on the road We are here to help each other Walk the mile and bear the load.
(Richard Gillard, 1977)
Who are you journeying with? Who is keeping you company? And most importantly, who is journeying with the children and families in your church? Children take journeys every day and with them are their friends, family, teachers, sports coaches, and many others.
In this edition of the WAY2GO magazine, we will look at ideas for the journey, and for building relationships while on the journey.
Liz Eichler
Children and Families Team Leader, SUNZ
JOINING CHILDREN ON THEIR
SpiritualJourney
In Luke 24 we join Jesus on a journey with his friends, though they did not realise who he was at first. As Jesus journeys along the Road to Emmaus, he gives us a picture of how we may join children (and anyone) on their spiritual journey.
SOMETIMES IT TAKES AN OUTSIDER TO SHOW JESUS TO
CHILDREN (VS 15-24) Jesus appeared to the two disciples as an outsider. They did not recognise him for who he was. Often in our work with children it takes an outsider (not a stranger but someone they may only have known for a brief time or who they know outside of their family) to introduce them to Jesus.
USE SCRIPTURE TO SHOW JESUS TO CHILDREN
(VS 2527) Jesus used Scripture to show himself to them. If we are working with children, we need to not only be familiar with Scripture, but to internalise it. When you read the Bible for yourself don’t just read it to hear God speaking but read it also to become a part of the story of God in the life of his people.
GIVE CHILDREN SPACE TO EXPERIENCE JESUS
FOR THEMSELVES (VS 28) Jesus gave the two disciples the chance to think about what he had just shared with
them. We need to give children that opportunity. It may be asking them a question that they don’t have to answer out loud or asking them to draw or write something. It may be creating a space for silence as an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to show them Jesus as they sit and contemplate God and his word.
AIM TO HAVE CHILDREN’S HEARTS BURNING AS WE OPEN SCRIPTURE
WITH THEM (VS 32)Jesus must have opened Scripture in such an amazing way that the disciple’s hearts did burn. There are so many different methods of making the Bible come alive for children. Have you thought of trying something different when it comes to presenting Bible stories?
ENCOURAGE CHILDREN TO SHARE THE REAL JESUS
WITH OTHERS (VS 33, 35) The disciples could not wait to get back and tell the others that they had not only seen Jesus but had spent time with him. Can you imagine children being so excited about Jesus that they just want to tell their family and friends about him?
Be encouraged, we all have a wonderful privilege and an awesome opportunity to walk alongside children as their guide to Jesus.
Relationships Building FOR THE JOURNEY
Journeys have a start and an end. What happens along the way is as important as reaching the destination. The same can be said of our children’s programmes. Good children’s programmes are important, but we can be so concerned with well run programmes that we fail to do the main thing – build relationships with the children. How do we do this?
• It takes time—plan and prepare, so that you have time to talk with the children.
• Small groups – good small group times are important.
• Authenticity – get to know their names, interests, birthdays, and other important events in their lives.
• We need to respect and value each child.
TOP 10 TIPS
1Get on their level physically so you can talk and listen face to face.
2Talk in language they will understand without being condescending.
3Find out about their daily lives and pray about these ‘ordinary’ things.
4 Show your respect for them and give them a sense of ownership by allowing them choices.
5 Ask genuine questions that require them to think rather than ‘closed’ questions with standard answers.
6 Encourage them to ask their own questions and help them discover the answers.
7 Be positive in what you say about them and encourage them to hope and dream.
8 Apologise to them when you do something wrong and try to make amends.
9Chat to them outside of group time—if possible, go to other things they’re involved in.
10Pray for them.
WAY2GO GREATEST HITS VOLUME 1
We’ve celebrated 20 years of WAY2GO Children’s Ministry training by producing a compendium of Bible Engagement resources from our WAY2GO magazines. From choosing the right Bible, to ideas for at home and at church, our hope and prayer is that you will enjoy using these resources and that the life and faith of those you journey with will be enriched. Watch out for Volume 2! $5
THE RESTORATION STATION
At The Restoration Station, children will be introduced to Jesus as the restorer. Using key stories from John’s Gospel, children will discover how Jesus is the master craftsman who heals and restores. Each day they will be given the opportunity to explore who Jesus is and respond in appropriate ways
