Sometimes on a Sunday anywhere in The Church of England, our congregations can look a bit like that scene in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang when Truly Scrumptious and Caractacus Potts are first in the village of Vulgaria, and they notice something. There are no children.
Across the Diocese of Oxford we are all being encouraged by Bishop Steven to think about how we can increase our ministry to children, young people and families. In our own Deanery we now have Mark Humphries to support our churches in all of these matters. The Deanery is putting in resources to support us.
Even in and across our own four Church Families we are sometimes despondent that there are almost no children and young people at a regular Sunday Service, most of which are eucharistic.
Firstly, we needn’t feel this way for there is so much to celebrate.
We have two amazing Church Schools. Speaking with a clergy friend at Deanery Synod they were amazed that Mark and I (with our Lucy) go into our schools every week. They told me of someone they had met who said that their own journey of faith was because of the regular visits of their local vicar. We also have great relationships with our two state schools. It was so wonderful to welcome them both to special services at Christmas.
Watch the YouTube Clip of Ibstone Primary’s Passion Play.
Our monthly ‘Jump for Joy’ is a delight, and a must for others across the Team to experience once at least, and think about doing something similar. We could consider having a monthly All Age in one of our churches each week. Discuss.
We have Godly Play as an afterschool activity in Cadmore End Primary. Christmas services are full of families, especially Christingles. Other guest occasions such as Mothering Sunday, Harvest and Animal Services are great times to dip a toe into a more relaxed style.
Baptisms and weddings are wonderful opportunities to see the church as family.
There are many grandparents amongst us, where we can nurture faith, and opportunities arise to bring them along with Grampy and Grandma.
We have contact with 27 families with Community Matters who see a side of church so many miss. Loving service.
We can make this a fixed item on all of our Council Agendas.
We should be rightly proud and grateful for all that takes place, but we should also be prayerful and bolder for all the possibilities that we can offer to encourage faith in all ages, never neglecting any age but realising as many do, one of the elephants in the room. If young people are not inspired then we will die out. We often hear that ‘we are an aging congregation’. All congregations are: one day at a time.
But this also requires some sacrifice. Giving up slots to create space for services that are geared at the right times, in appropriate language, level and activity. Using other times in the week, requires volunteers. We need to learn from the wisdom of others who have done this before. We can share ideas across our Rural Forum, and try to act our shoe size and not our age more often.
None of this happens in our own strengths or ideas, but in the grace of the Lord who has called us and given us meaning in life, that has to be passed on and down.
It is sometimes said that children and young people are the church of tomorrow.
NEVER: they are the church of TODAY.
Keep the faith, but never ever to ourselves.
Love Philip x
South Chilterns Team Ministry 