Learn: How Will Our Children Have Faith?

The Learn publication How will our Children have Faith? is a short discussion guide which explores the reasons for working with children and young people. This discussion guide can support congregations in reflecting on their work with children and young people. We're encouraging them to stop asking 'how' but to take a step back and say 'why', and then to go from there. This publication is aimed at kirk sessions, and groups working with children.

The guide is composed of four sessions which encourage reflection on the theology of youth and children's work; on the specific needs of the community in which the church is based; on the work the church is currently doing; and finally on developing an action plan for up to three years. By working through this resource, congregations will be able to understand the importance and the purpose of their work with children and young people before starting up activities,

Background

This publication was written as a result of consultations about children and youth ministry in the Church of Scotland and concerns that numbers of children and young people in churches are declining. Many churches have few or no children attending Sunday services. Some of the ways that we have ‘done' church or ‘taught' children are no longer working. We recognised that people were reaching for the next resource without thinking about why they wanted to do things in the first place and not being able to adapt resources into their own contexts.
The resources is split into four sections:

Why
Identify
Reflect and Evaluate
What Next?

Each section is designed as a discussion starter and identifies questions that could be discussed by groups.

Why? - Barbara McDade - Previous Programmes Officer for Congregational Life and Witness, Presbyterian Church in Ireland

Identify - Andrew Whittet - Community Profiler, Faith in Community Scotland

Reflect and Evaluate – Lorraine Darlow - Children's Ministry Network Scotland

What Next? – Catherine Falconer - Previous Children's Development Worker

How to Use it

The resource is designed to be used particularly by Kirk Sessions and groups within a church wanting to discuss a way forward and new opportunities to connect with children and young people local congregations, but can also be used by Presbytery Groups. Through working through the sections of the booklet, a church can review their context and situation for children and young people and explore new ways forward to develop a strategy and new ways forward for ministry to children and young people in their local area.

A number of churches have used this resource to reflect on their work with children and young people

"It helped the kirk session to ask some difficult questions about what place children and young people have in our congregation, we are still exploring the answers and new ideas ahead!"- Hamilton

"I have found the How will our Children have Faith LEARN publication is a great starting point for Kirk Session, Youth Teams and congregations to think about WHY, WHO and WHAT's NEXT. It asks questions you must answer and come to an answer together that works best for you, your congregation and the children and young people within your community."- Glasgow

Abernethy Presbytery used this Booklet as a tool for a day conference. People from across the Presbytery attended and we followed the outline of the book as our guide for the day. We particularly appreciated the opportunity to reflect share ideas and hear what was going on in other churches. Explore together and the Bible based nature of the Booklet. This has encouraged some churches to try something new with children and young people eg a 'Wellie Walk' for younger children. A Prayer space at church including a children's afternoon. 'Bubblegum and Fluff' at one of the churches for all the P6's feeder primaries for the local high school which was a great success. The prayer space at the end helped to give folk time to reflect and think about ongoing ways for the church to connect with the school.

What next?

The Church of Scotland seeks to inspire and resource churches with new ways of approaching mission and discipleship with children and young people through further Learn publications and Community of Faith Conferences.

We might nurture and nourish our spiritual lives by doing more with children and becoming more like them – John Westerhoff

The Church's view of God and his people affects the way its members relate to one another as well as the ministry practices they develop – Children Matter

One of the most important gifts children bring to a congregations worship life is the opportunity to act and look like the radically welcoming community of Jesus – Joyce Ann Mercer- Welcoming Children