The Gift of Childhood

This coming Sunday we will celebrate the ongoing connection between Grace Church and Grace School through our annual Grace School Sunday! While the two entities function independently in many ways, we also share our Episcopal identity, our physical buildings, and many of our values. The short version of Grace School’s mission is to honor the gift of childhood, and as I reflect on family ministries at Grace Church, I am moved by the ways in which I see our church family honoring the gift of childhood as well. 

Perhaps the most obvious example of how we honor the gift of childhood at church is through the practice of Little Church. Children are placed at the very center of liturgy and worship because their ways of connecting to God are valid and meaningful for worshippers of all ages. Just ask any adult who has attended Little Church – the Spirit is alive and flourishing in those services. At Grace, we believe that children are inherently spiritual and have gifts and wisdom to offer through worship. 

At Grace, we also know that childhood is messy and complex. From a distance, it is easy to romanticize childhood as being simple, carefree, and easy. But it is none of those things. Being a kid is hard work. In the world, children are often overlooked, told to be quiet, and left waiting for a day when they can make the decisions. And being a parent is hard work too. Childhood does not always feel like a gift to parents; it can feel more like a never-ending marathon of sleep deprivation, high pitched voices, and bodily fluids.  

So how do we honor the gift of childhood when it doesn’t feel like a gift? 

I think one place where we can start is by honoring the messiness of childhood along with the beauty of it. Childhood is complex, and we need to honor the fact that children are not a B-team waiting on the sidelines to be the future of the church. Children at Grace are the church! They are just as valued as the grown-ups. They are leaders in worship, in fellowship, in outreach. They belong here and so does all the messiness that comes with them. My prayer is that Grace Church will always be a soft place for children to land and a soft place for parents to land as well. 
As we welcome the Grace School families to our church on Sunday, think about how you can make them feel at home. How can our church be a soft place for them to come in the midst of another busy week? 
 Faithfully,
Mother Emma+