Category Archives: Welcoming All Families

Arts and Crafts / Children's Sermons / Faith Formation (formerly Sunday School) / Intergenerational activites / Uncategorized / Welcoming All Families

Prayground Activities for the September Lectionary:

Posted on by • Leave a comment

Praygrounds, or dedicated areas in the worship space for children, are a wonderful new development many churches have added. But, what if you don’t have a dedicated space? We share our small sanctuary with another congregation, so a permanent area with furniture or baby equipment wasn’t an option for us. Instead, we use the empty … Continue reading →

Faith Formation (formerly Sunday School) / Intergenerational activites / Prayer / Welcoming All Families

Teen Friendly Back to School Blessing:

Posted on by • 2 Comments

I have noticed that the youth are less enthusiastic about backpack blessing tags than the younger kids.  This year I decided to try to come up with a something that appealed to a wider age range. The blessing reminder needs to be: Youth friendly. Visually appealing. Budget-friendly. Reflect our church’s commitment to inclusion. Be a … Continue reading →

Pastor Changes Part III: Welcoming the new pastor and their family
Children's Sermons / Welcoming All Families

Pastor Changes Part III: Welcoming the new pastor and their family

Posted on by • Leave a comment

The first Sunday of July is often the first Sunday worshiping with the new pastor for United Methodist churches with a new appointment.  The goal of children’s time on the first Sunday is to introduce children to the new pastor and to model generously welcoming new people to the congregation. For the following children’s message, … Continue reading →

Easter Weclome To Do List
The Church Year / Welcoming All Families

Easter Weclome To Do List

Posted on by • 1 Comment

There are three parts to welcoming guest with children to Easter services: Invite, Include, and Inspire. Here’s what I’m working on this week: Invite- Both personal and group invitations are an important part of Easter preparation. Personally invite families to services. This year we will be “Egging” families by hiding plastic eggs in their yards along with a … Continue reading →