Inviting Children to Worship

Dear Friends,

I am completing my seminary program this spring, and for my capstone project, I’m exploring children's participation in meeting for in worship. I’m interested in gathering from Friends of all ages their responses to queries like the ones below, and finding what emerges as a guide for strengthening intergenerational spiritual community.

• If you grew up in a Quaker meeting, what was your experience of participating in worship?
• If you grew up in another denomination, what was your experience of participating in worship?
• What do meetings today offer families with children in the way of support, care, and nurture?
• We profess to want to see more families with children in our benches, but are we prepared to minister to them? How is worship part of that ministry?
• How might experiences with semi-programmed, intergenerational worship address issues of inclusion, especially for children? What challenges or barriers to this idea would you anticipate?

The Quaker Religious Education Collaborative is hosting two listening circles to support this research.

Tuesday, March 26, 2024
7:00 AM Hawaii = 10:00 AM Pacific = 11:00 AM Mountain
Click here to register. [obsolete]

Thursday, March 28, 2024
2:00 PM Hawaii = 5:00 PM Pacific = 6:00 PM Mountain
Click here to register. [obsolete]

from Melinda Wenner Bradley, Quaker Religious Education Collaborative (to be 3/26/2024)