Christmas Snowman Table Centerpiece

On December 2, 2012, I am  hosting a "Family Advent" at our church, where I am the Children's Minister. Each family will be able to make an Advent wreath, Jesse Tree Ornaments, and enjoy a soup supper. Since December 2nd is the first Sunday of Advent, the beginning of Christian Christmas Celebration, I want to decorate the tables in or Family Ministry Building in a festive way. I found some snowmen I had started to make years ago in my attic. They are wooded pears that I painted white and made snow hats out of sock material and added a bell. All I have to do is add a face to each snowman. I looked on the internet and pinterest to see if I could find an idea on  how to incorporate the snowmen into a table decoration that would be appropriate for church but could not find one with snowmen.
I then decided to take a trip to the Dollar Tree for some inspiration. I found cube Styrofoam that I wrapped like a present. Set this present in a wreath, added a green tree, and my snowman to the top of the present and a Christmas pick. Then with my cricut I cut out the word Love and glued it to a red craft stick and inserted it next to the snowman on the present. I also decorated the wreath with some red, green, and white berries to add some color.  I think the result is a very cute Christmas advent snowman wreath center piece.

 This is the second center piece I made. I am going to make at least 12 for our tables at Church and use all four of the Advent words, Hope, Peace, Faith and Love. I really like how they turned out and I enjoy being creative, especially at Christmas time.

Children and Worship

Do Children belong in worship service?

Today is the last Sunday of the month. On the last Sunday of every month I give a Children’s sermon during both services.

Just before school started this year, I was approached by some adults who would like for the children to have a Children’s Church instead of sitting in worship. This is what started me thinking, do children belong in worship service? Does the majority of the congregation feel this way? I believe that children do belong in the worship service. Worship is something we learn by watching and doing. My husband and I have raised four girls, when they were little they all were in church sitting next to me. They did not bring toys or allowed to get up and down to leave the worship service. I did provide pencils, paper and colors for them to use to take notes or draw pictures of what they learned in worship. Since I have become a Children’s Minister  I have wished I would have kept some of their drawings. They always pertained to what was said during service at their level of understanding. God can and does speak to children during a worship service. Parents need to learn how to bring their child along and help them learn to worship.

This morning I chose to speak to the children and parents about what worship is and how the children can participate in and hear God from it. I realized that we use words often in ministry that children and some adults do not understand. Worship is one of those words. Children have told me that worship is only singing. Singing is only one part of our worship experience. To worship God means to focus only on God, not on what is going on around you. Worship is taking time to stop and think about God, what he has don, what he will do, and to tell him how wonderful he is. Worship is not something we do only on Sunday mornings when we come to church.

1 Peter 2:9 tells us we are created to worship God. “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, holy nation, God’ special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who call you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” We were chosen by God, he wants us all to come to him to and turn away from darkness.  He does not just call adults. God does speak to children. They are not too young to learn to praise God. In Mark 10:13-16 Jesus tells his disciples not to keep the children away from Him. Matthew 21:15-16 tells how the children shouted praise to him in the temple court. This upset the Chief Priests and teachers of the law, but Jesus replies, to them, “Have you never read, ‘from the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise.’” Matthew 21:16 (NIV) (Psalm 8:2) Children need to be welcomed into worship service. Parents, Pastors and other Christian adults can welcome children into service and set the example on how to worship. Just as Jesus loves and welcomes them.

We can learn a lot from children. They are so open to Christ’s love and what he does for them. I asked my Wednesday evening JAM (Jesus and Me) Class of kindergarten - third graders if they had prayer requests or Praise. The first girl who raised her hand said, “I want to praise God for my life.” What a wonderful act of worship. She stops and sees how God is the one who is responsible for her life. It made me think how I need to stop, and know that He is God, not me or anything else in my life.

This morning I read from the book, “When I Go to Church, Guiding Preschoolers in Worship,” by Kay Vandevier Henry, to the children.  I read a paragraph from the section on “What is Worship to a Child?” and “Guiding Behavior during the Worship Service – Part 1. This is a very good book for parents to read to help them learn how to teach their children to worship. It is written for children and parents. It is a very good resource for the Children’s Minister to use to bring along parents who have problems with their children in church. I also think Pastors and worship leaders should read this book to help them include children in worship. This would go a long way to help the children feel loved, welcome, and a part of God’s church.

There is so much more to say on this topic, and I may explore it more. But for now I will close with, : And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” Matthew 18:5. Worship is for every one of God’s children, no matter what their age.