E-pistle for
August 19, 2008
E-pistle for
August 19, 2008
by Bishop Kirk S. Smith
Guest E-pistle: A Child Shall Lead Them
by Nancy Shumaker/Canon for Children’s Ministries
"A Child Shall Lead Them," our third annual Children's Christian Formation Conference, was one of joy, excitement and growth. Julia McCray Goldsmith, Christian Formation Coordinator for the Diocese of California, was our keynote who just by her presence and complete understanding of what Children's Ministries is and how very important our children are, brought us all to a new understanding and appreciation of the ministries we all offer whether in a large or small church. As I traveled down the hallway of The Learning Center of St. Barnabas where the conference was held, I either heard laughter, or someone asking for the glue or glitter in the arts and crafts class, or complete silence in the Benedictine practices of meditation and Bible Study and the softness of the darkened room of experiencing prayer through art, the vastness of what we do as Sunday School Teachers and coordinators of these programs was again brought home to me.
The Rev. Canon Timothy and Beth Dombek's class on "Preparing for Children with Special Needs" was one that I felt was most needed by everyone. All of our children are special but some more so than others. The persons involved in this class had deep concerns for their own children as well as those they teach and encounter in church. They all left feeling affirmed and appreciated and not as alone as those who have children with special needs experience. The response to this class was, "Please offer this again at the Ministry Fair at both sessions. Everyone, clergy, parents, teachers, vestry members everyone should be aware of this most important ministry and how to prepare for it."
Not to be outdone were the eight children in the Children's Program who were again spell bound by our own Bruce Phillips from St. Philips on the Hills, Tucson singing in English one minute, French the next and Spanish the next. The children never missed a beat or one word. What a magical moment that was.
To complete the day the children commissioned all the teachers there asking them the hard questions, "You promised at my baptism to help me grow in the faith of Jesus Christ. Will you continue to do this." The teachers answered with a resounding "We will." How else can you answer when you are looking into the faces of those who trust us to prepare and be ready to show and experience the kingdom of God.
My only disappointment was that our largest churches were not represented in this conference. My feeling about this as I write this to you with an extremely exhausted heart, mind and body is that I wish all churches had been represented. We share our ideas, hopes and dreams. As St. Paul said, "We though many parts are one body in Christ." Translated my brothers and sisters is that we are whether large church with hundreds of children each week or three children we are one body in Christ. We all need each other and we all need to share our ideas and plans and support. We need each other. We are not in competition with each other we are all one.
Obviously I have not singled out all the workshops or special times of this conference. There really are too many to list in this short article. All I can say to you is that this conference was a year in planning with many, many hours of preparation, individual parish visitations, phone calls, e-mails, more follow up phone calls, e-mails and visitations and the over all results showed it. However for a conference offered for the entire diocese the attendance was disappointing. My heart is saddened and as a result very weary from the fact that this event was not considered by some to be important enough to make the extra effort to send at least two persons. The Diocesan Children's Ministries Program Group tried very hard to make this an event that enables our Children's Ministers feel important, appreciated and valued. We did that and we hope that when we offer another it will be seen and respected as one of the most important tools for growing our leaders and children in faith.
My prayer is that as your Sunday School Programs, baptism preparation classes, young families support, parenting classes etc. etc. begin that the persons who actually do this work be supported by the entire parish family. Take care all of you and God bless you everyone.