In 1450 a clergyman published a saying it was – “Children should be seen and not heard”
Hello!!!!! Children NEED to be seen, they NEED to be heard, they NEED to be asked, they NEED to be loved, they NEED to be included, nurtured and taught, do I hear some dissention creeping in? Well let us go to the Highest Authority
“But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven”. Mathew 19:14 NKJV
OUR children chose the name NEXT GENERATION for their group as they are indeed the next generation coming through, both in the Church and in society.
The older children, the teenagers stay in for the whole Sunday morning service and the younger children leave the church service after communion and move into their own room to learn Bible stories and principles at an appropriate level for their age. Over time they learn about characters in the Bible and the messages God wants us to learn from His word. There are stories, quizzes, and discussions throughout the sessions.
Once a month the young children stay in for the whole morning service and take part in their own way. This might be reading a passage from scripture, giving a report on what we have done in Sunday school or another form of presentation. The children are included in the morning in whatever way they can be so that they feel part of the Church Family. Children mature at different rates and learn in different ways so there is no hard and fast age limits to these options (of staying in the service or staying in Sunday school) it all depends upon the individual.
On Saturday evening the young people meet from 6 until 7:30 p.m. This is a time for fun, activities and socialising. There are a great variety of things to do, avoiding technology which seems to dominate the rest of everyday life. There are board games, arts and crafts, opportunities to make music, team games, quizzes, badminton and table tennis on offer. Sometimes children just want to sit and chat with friends.
During the course of the evening there are refreshments and at the end a quiet time with a Bible story, to send the children home calm and possibly in a reflective mood after the liveliness of the rest of the session. They hear that they are unique and valued individually as well as being part of the Church Family. They learn that we should care for one another and extend that love and kindness into the wider community.
Older children are encouraged to help younger ones, willing to join in, being supportive and friendly and acting as positive role models. There are few rules for the children - but good manners to all and respect for each other and the resources are stressed. Everyone is welcome and everyone needs to feel safe in the setting.