Children At Worship - Looking Forward!

We want to make the Center and Website a lively place for ideas and exchange about inclusive children's ministries. Below is our list of available and upcoming products and services that we look forward to offering. Check back frequently for updates to this list; we'll keep you posted as each of these become available!

A book by the Rev. Caroline Fairless, published by the Church Publishing Company. Part teaching manual, part theology and the rest anecdote, this book describes the journey of Caroline and her congregation toward worship and community life that is fully inclusive of children and youth. Click here to READ AN EXCERPT from the book!
Click here to Order the Book from Church Publishing Inc.

Join the partnership. Become a member. Participate in the life of Children at Worship... Click here for more information.

A web site dedicated to our members full of resources for the full inclusion of children and youth in worship. New each week, based on the scriptural readings each Sunday (Revised Common Lectionary), you will find ideas, prayers, dramatic readings, projects, book reviews, art, highlights from congregations around the world, an opportunity to post questions and get answers and live chat with Center staff and leaders in this field. Web site pages are printable in full color. Some projects and art will be provided as PDF files to be used for church activities.

Community Board: News, notices, photos and other cool stuff, art, Q&A of the week, seasonal suggestions, stories, "recipes" for liturgical design, and a calendar of upcoming events. Click Here to view a Sample!

New Weekly Feature: Each week we will have a story, project, idea or inspirational message to help you explore inclusive liturgy in your own faith community. Follows the Revised Common Lectionary. Click Here to view a Sample Weekly Feature.

Resource Page: A section filled with abundant resources ... calendar of events, book reviews, music reviews, news articles, and center activities, links and more.

Program Planning Catalog for Inclusive Liturgy. $52.00 per year, 4 issues of how-to, recipes and articles based on the Church Season.

In full color... featuring ideas, projects, articles by leaders in this field, and the stories and experiences of congregations practicing inclusive worship. Of particular emphasis will be the art, music, poetry, drama and dance of children and youth, both to recognize their work and to provide member congregations with a vision of new possibilities. Newsletter: Catalog of Ideas are printable and downloadable in PDF format; we provide a link to download Adobe's free Acrobat Reader software to view PDF files.

• WordSource: Resources for Spiritual Leaders of a Congregation. (available now!)
Click here for more information.

52 weeks of material according to the Revised Common Lectionary, $3 per week, or a total of $156 per year. Through examples, reflection questions, poetry, stories, drama and interactive conversations, the readings will be broken out in creative ways to tell the biblical stories. WordSource is rich in story telling styles and techniques. It is designed for clergy, lectors, story tellers and educators. It is a pragmatic resource like other sermon preparation aides, with emphasis on how to preach a sermon or tell a story to everyone present (not just the adults!). WordSource follows the readings for each Sunday, based on the Revised Common Lectionary. It is useful for congregation worship, Sunday School programs, youth groups and retreats. Pages are printable in full color. Click Here to view a Sample!

I addition this resource offers a deeper reflection called Closer to the Source
by center associate Andee Zetterbaum. Andee's insights are always thoughtful and often provocative.

The Center offers itself as a testing and training ground for communities of worship that choose to deepen their community life by including children and youth in all aspects of their corporate faith journey. Congregations in Bloom conferences, from one to three days in length, are adaptable for Leadership Days and Ministry Fairs or can stand alone as a Diocesan or Provincial event. Contact LeaderResources for more information.

This is curriculum offered subsequent to a Congregations In Bloom Conference, designed to work within congregations or clusters of congregations to develop inclusive liturgies that suit their specific needs. Contact LeaderResources for more information.

Week long sessions in the major liturgical areas of story telling, music and art, the design of worship space and more, are offered by the Center. Contact LeaderResources for more information.

Host the "Big Pew" in your Diocese or congregation. This pew, built by the Center's Jim Sims, is designed with size in mind, so that when a six foot person sits in it, the experience is that of a three foot child. It is a playful teaching tool, with a supportive curriculum, and draws adults and children alike into the conversation of children in church. Email us for more information on how you can bring the "Big Pew" to your congregation.