By: Abby VanderBrug
“Do you think God has a dog?” is a question that, in a pre-Covid world, I would answer regularly. I’m an ordained Priest, currently serving at Christ Church Greenwich as the Children’s Minister, and therefore have the pleasure of listening to these delightful questions regularly. To be clear, in seminary they didn’t give us the answer about the dog, or if God wears shoes, both of which would be incredibly helpful to me.
Interactions between myself and children have been some of the most meaningful conversations I’ve had in my ministry. Many times, these conversations have provided the clearest truth about what it means to lead a life of faith. I believe it’s why Jesus said “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mattew 18:13, NRSV).
It can be so easy to forget that children have spiritual lives, but just like everything else, it needs to be nurtured if we want it to develop. As a parent, I know that there are so many things we are juggling: school, grades, play dates, music lessons, sports, family time, and the list goes on. It’s a lot on top of an already quickly moving world.
When the pandemic hit, we put our Children’s Chapel program online so that kids could still worship with us every week. Our service is simple: prayers, songs, a story, a craft they can do at home, and some time to just be still. We always start our time together by setting an altar and taking some deep breaths. I bring a cross, a cloth that represents the liturgical color we’re in, a few candles, and a figure of the Good Shepherd. I invite kids to put something on their altar that represents something they want to give to God right now. On most days, my dog can be found sitting next to me.
With Sunday School being available in the living room via the internet, what our community has found is that families are actually tuning in more regularly than when we were only in church. What I found most wonderful about this new experience is that families are worshiping and learning together. As opposed to a Sunday routine where kids are sent into a different part of church for their worship or Sunday School, now everyone in the family is huddled around a computer screen for the same experience – many times in pajamas, parents with coffee cups, and kids with their stuffed animals.
Now that families are having a shared experience in worship, they are also developing a shared language that enables them to talk about their faith together. One of the biggest questions I get from parents is, “I want my child to develop their faith, but I’m not even sure where to begin.” I’ve also heard many times, “I’m worried I don’t have the answers to the questions my child will ask about God.” Both of these concerns are somehow put at ease through worshipping together at home. I encourage us to answer questions like “I wonder, what is the most important part of this story?” Or, “I wonder where are you in this story?” instead of focusing on “right” answers. These wonderings and conversations lead us to make the faith meaningful for us, which in turn nurtures spiritual growth and development.
When the pandemic ends, and we can all be together for worship together again, I hope our experience of faith at home doesn’t. Wendy Claire Barrie, author of “Faith at Home” claims “Recent studies indicate that the single most important factor in youth becoming committed and engaged in their religious faith is that the family talks about religion in the home.” The answer is clear, if we want our children to grow into their spiritual and religious curiosity, we have to model it and nurture it.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if one of the lasting impacts of this pandemic is practicing our faith together as a family? I wonder, how do you think it might transform your family?
