This Sunday is the annual Children’s Sabbath, a day devoted to raising up the issues and concerns facing children across the world. In many congregations, worshipers will be exploring what Scripture tells us about God’s relationship with God’s youngest disciples and praying for the well-being of our young people. Jesus cared deeply about children and congregations can follow his example by speaking with our own kids and those around us to learn more about their hopes, dreams and hurts.
Begin the time with the children by asking them to share what it’s like to be a child in this place and time. What’s wonderful about being young right now? What’s challenging? What opportunities do children have? What limitations do they face? Note the complexity of their answers and the tensions that exist between the “good” and the “bad” in their lives.
Share with your children that this Sunday is Children’s Sabbath. Tell them that this is a day people of faith devote to reflecting on and praying about what it means to be a child. (If you’d like to read more information about Children’s Sabbath, visit here.)
Several of the recent lectionary readings from the Gospel texts have focused on Jesus’ words and actions towards children. If you have walked through these texts with your group, you can remind them of Jesus’ words by re-reading the passages or by asking them to summarize what they have learned recently about Christ’s relationship with children. If you have not focused on these texts with the group, you may want to explore one or more of these passages with the children. You can find Presbyterian Outlook’s recent Christian Education lessons on the readings here: Mark 9:30-37, Mark 9:38-50 and Mark 10:13-16.
Continue the discussion by extending Jesus‘ words to the children’s lives. Note that Jesus brings children into the fold by welcoming them. He shows that they are as important as the adults who follow him. They are called to be disciples just like the twelve Jesus gathered in Galilee. Share with the children that one of the roles of a disciple of Christ is to be witness to injustice or hurt going on in the world. This means that we should speak up when we see that God’s people are in need. Children can do this by calling attention to the issues facing those in their age group.
Ask the children to brainstorm a list of the biggest issues people their age face today. What are the problems that many children have? What needs have they noticed in their school communities? What are the challenges that their friends face? Encourage them to think of small local issues as well as those facing children across the nation or the world. Then ask them what they believe needs to be done to address these concerns. How can adults and children work together to make sure all of God’s children are cared for? As the children share their ideas, record them on a sheet of chart paper or a whiteboard.
Then, ask the children who needs to know about these issues for change to occur. You may need to prompt them to help them identify people in power. Be sure to note governmental leaders and community organizations as well as religious groups. Once they have identified adults who might be helpers, encourage them to write a letter or to record a video sharing their thoughts. They can explain what they see as the most pressing challenges children face as well as their solutions. Help them share their ideas with those leaders via email or mail.
Joelle Brummit-Yale is the director of children’s and youth ministries at Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. When not at the church, she can usually be found at home with her son and husband caring for their many animals and developing their family homestead.
