Children's Liturgy at Emmanuel is defined as the
practice of children ages 4 through 7 leaving the 9:00 Sunday worship
and gathering elsewhere to celebrate a separate liturgy that is more
appropriate to their level of understanding. Its purpose is to
gradually lead them to full, conscious and active participation in the
Sunday worship.
It is "liturgy", ritual
prayer, not religious instruction ("Sunday school") or babysitting. It
exists not to give them activities to keep them busy so the adults can
listen to the homily in peace! It is based on the proclamation and
breaking open of the scriptures.
The children parallel what the rest
of the community is doing at this point - in content, structure and
symbol.
Teaching is done by trained
volunteers and accomplished by ritual elements such as processions,
singing, dialogue and silence - all integral to children's experience
of liturgy. Visual elements such as liturgical colors, light, a cross
and artwork are also prominent.
A typical 20-minute session will
contain the following structure:
1) Gather
a) Welcome, introductions
b) Brief explanation of liturgical season (colors, rituals, etc.)
c) Prepare the altar
2) Opening Prayer
a) Short, child-friendly or
b) Standard opening prayer
c) Follow by acknowledging birthdays and include a birthday prayer
3) Gospel or Other Reading
a) Read from a children's bible or lectionary (RCL)
b) Liturgical texts proclaimed intelligibly and unhurriedly, with the necessary pauses
4) Homily, Reflection and Discussion
a) To explain the reading(s)
b) Appropriate to the children's level of understanding
c) Can be instructional or make use of question and answer, discussion, guided reflection or silent meditation
d) Can be acted out or related to children's experiences
5) If Ending Early, add some... a) Songs
b) Crafts
c) Questions And Answers from the "Worship IQ" Jar
6) Closing Prayer
a) Initiated upon arrival of acolyte, who will escort back to the worship service
b) Short, child-friendly or
c) Standard closing prayer
Occasionally,
a non-typical session will contain hymns in place of a reading, or will
contain a discussion on baptism which is followed by the children
observing the baptisms occurring in the worship service. During the
summer months, children will be watching videos that contain a
Christian theme or message.