Vision and Mission Statement Part Three

Learning Jesus

Building a loving relationship between the young child and Jesus is a natural desire of SRPC’s parents. Yet as a recent listening process uncovered, parents struggle with how to nurture their child’s burgeoning spirituality. Parental dialogue brought up personal and family struggles such as the lack of resources to answer their children’s spiritual questions, attempting to personally answer the same theological questions that they find their children asking. For several, their childhood did not include any or an erratic religious exposure causing the parent(s) to feel inadequate in providing spiritual guidance to their children in the area of Scripture. It is not uncommon to hear the response “my children know more about the Bible than I do” when listening to SRPC parents.

There are several themes within the context of Children’s Ministries with regards to whose responsibility it is to train and nurture of a faith community’s children. One can find ministries which hold the belief that it is the responsibility of those skilled in theology to impart the truths of Scripture and Doctrine to the young child, a second holds that Scripture firmly mandates that it is the sole duty of parents to administer spiritual training thus not holding any formal spiritual training for children. SRPC Kids mission is to assist parents in their God-given task to guide their children in developing and nurturing their growing spirituality.

Spiritual Formation vs. Sunday School

The paradigm of the traditional Sunday School experience is currently under revision in the field of ministry to children. Educators such as Sofia Cavelleti and Jerome Berryman have revisited the standard model of Christian Education. In their work, they have come to an understanding of the catechesis or spiritual formation of children that includes the following key points:

All individuals are “hard wired” to know God. Children have yet to have their instinctive knowledge of God tarnished, thus they hold an innate understanding and appreciation of the mystery and awe of God found through the internalization of Scripture.

Rather than the model of the adult as teacher to children, it is the work of the Holy Spirit to impart wisdom and understanding to Scripture. This does not equate to a form of spiritual anarchy but rather a recognition that the child and God are in a constant internal conversation. Those who are blessed with the privilege of working with children are entrusted as a facilitator of this conversation within a worship experience.

Play is the work of the child. It is through the interaction of repetitive action, scripture and objects that a child discovers truths and concepts.

Children are now a part of the digital age. Their world is fast paced, noisy and image laden. What they lack is the opportunity to quiet themselves to hear what the Spirit is speaking.

It is curious to consider how one can integrate the idea of a classical catechetical model which nurtures the reflective nature of spiritual formation and the young child with the technological age in which children reside. This question is one of the primary reflections which SRPC Kids will focus on over next period. With parent input and participation, it is hoped that the following goals will be accomplished which will enhance SRPC Kids ability to nurture the spiritual formation of our children.

Reviewing and providing feedback regarding currently used curriculum; making suggestions as to possibilities of new curriculum direction.

Creating key “rites of passage” within Children’s Ministries which include Infant baptism/dedication, “first” participation in the Lord’s Supper, Third Grade Bible, blessing and acknowledgement of transition from Children’s Ministry into Student Ministry by the entire faith community.

Development of resources for parents to enrich their opportunities for spiritual formation such as web site development, communication of weekly themes for each grade/age level.

In addition, SRPC Kids is committed to reframing the spiritual vocabulary connected with our ministry to children.

Recognizing that to truly minister to children, ministry should occur within the context of families.

The concept of Sunday School no longer is applicable to the true goal of faith communities ministry to children and families, thus introducing the concept of spiritual formation both defines and communicates the role and mission of this ministry.

The child’s act of worship continues after dismissal from the larger community worship thus signifying a departure from the classical educational model found in a large majority of churches.