Worship Weblog

Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio

Posted by cicw

Thursday, November 12th, 2009

Posted by Betty Grit

Chaplain Kris Moore, Project Director for the 2009 Worship Renewal Grant to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital invited me to visit and experience the impact of the grant in the lives of those who live and work at this unique residential psychiatric facility. The children and young adults had been prepared for my visit and welcomed me to learn with them through movement, drumming and visual art. With music and movement we prayed the Lord’s Prayer. Through drumming we learned that God wants us to tell the truth. In the art room with art therapist Gina Roell we created a prayer box and talked about how we can bring our needs to God.

During conversation and delicious meals with the Implementation Team and other hospital staff, I learned that the grant has brought excited participation from young people. They come eagerly and discuss throughout the day what they have learned or what questions have grown from the experience. The staff told me that this experiment that is funded primarily through the grant has brought new opportunities to talk about the spiritual component of life and of healing.

The commitment of staff to the young people they serve and to each other affirmed that this is a place where learning takes place and relationships grow. We are grateful to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for partnering with us in exploring how worship can become an integral part of life and healing in a residential psychiatric setting for children and adolescents.

Tags: grantstournov09