I found the above video on Tony Morgan’s blog (HT: Tony Kummer) It’s a video put out by Granger Community Church when they asked the kids at the church to write down prayers to God.
I didn’t know what to expect when I hit play. It’s only been a few minutes since I watched it, but I had to post it here on Elemental CM.
Over the past couple of years I’ve been wrestling with what children’s ministry might look like if presented within a missional paradigm. One of the things that I keep coming back to is trying to help kids enter into the Story of God’s redemption of mankind and the world. We do an amazing job of helping kids learn about the story and even how to imitate what is taught in the story. It’s harder when it comes to actually helping children enter that story. To do so is risky. To do so is messy.
As evidenced by the prayers of the children in the video (which I believe is an accurate snapshot of where many children are today, in the Western world at least), their lives are already messy. They are craving for a new story to be a part of. A story that realizes and admits the realities of a fallen world and helps them partner with the Holy Spirit in bringing redemption to this world. Am I saying the children do the redeeming? Of course not… that’s God’s job. But we (adults and children alike) can enter into that work of God’s redemption. We can be a part of bringing glimpses of God’s Kingdom to this world. We can be a part of the redemption Story that God is writing all around us. We can help children be a part of that Story.
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Wow. That was beautiful. Reminds me to be more open to my own kids about how they see things and the burdens they carry.
I know! It's so easy to forget that kids deal with "real" issues, too.