Written by Julie Long, Interim Director of Staff and Congregational Life
Then Jesus took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’ (Mark 9:35-37)
In this wonderful story from scripture, Jesus teaches his disciples then and now an important lesson about children. What is the place for our children? In the midst of us! Jesus teaches us that if we keep them in the midst of us – if we keep the children front and center – you and I may be able to remember what God’s way is all about. If we keep the children in the midst of us, we may glimpse the face of God.
What a wonderful ministry to make the children of our church feel that they are important and welcome, to pull them into the “midst of us!” Children love to go to church where they are loved and heard and known. There are lots of churches in Macon who have better facilities, more flashy programs, and more toys and tech than our church. But I am convinced that is not what the children come for. They come for the same reason that the grown-ups come. They want to be welcomed. They want to belong. They want to go where somebody knows their name and knows something about them.
One way that we welcome our church’s children is by including them in our church’s worship and fellowship. Just as Jesus pulled that child into the center of his community of faith, we commit ourselves to pulling children into our midst. This Sunday, our children are leading our congregation in worship. I can’t think of a better way to let them know that they are important members of this family than to invite them to lead in our most holy and centering act as a community of faith.
Surely there will be glitches in the flow of the service, maybe an uncomfortable pause or a bobbled offering plate. But our congregation’s willingness to affirm their God-given gifts and passions reflects our commitments to nurturing each of them in their faith journeys and to empowering them to become congregational leaders, both now and in the future. As we welcome them in these ways, we open ourselves in new ways to experiencing the wide welcome of God.