Worship Weblog

Oakland Book Group – First meeting

Posted by cicw

Friday, November 6th, 2009

Book Groups

We invited 34 book groups across the U.S. and Canada to meet and discuss The Church of All Ages and its implications for their worship, and to share their notes here.
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If intergenerational worship is so desirable, why is it so hard?

Shauna observed: There aren’t many practical models for intergenerational worship. There aren’t very many churches where that’s really their culture.

Russ replied: I love the way our church is open to things like the Kidz Zone carpet with blocks, right in front there during the first part of the service; and the Nursery Zone carpets that some parents just decided to try in the back of the worship space. But before I became a parent myself, I know I had a hard time “tuning out” that kind of noise and motion.

Shauna observed: I continue to be struck that the church experiences, good and bad, that seem to stick out for folks of all ages are relational. They have much less to do with the structure, teaching, music, etc and much more to do with the ways we are welcomed, known, and loved by the individuals in the congregation. And such relationships take work.

Stu noted: Research data say churches that include children in worship tend to grow. Churches that have 20% or more over 50 tend to shrink (because older people have shrinking social networks and most friends they do have are already affiliated with a church, if they are so inclined).

Shauna continued: There is always the tension of separating kids out for age-appropriate programming vs. incorporating them in “big church.” I guess my hope would be that our congregation as a whole would find a balance, and be enriched by both experiences.

Lela opined: Children certainly need their own Sunday School classes and such. I don’t think it would work for them to be in the whole service every week. They need to be taught at their level.

Russ observed: Meanwhile, we have not made much effort to make our worship senior-friendly. They don’t ask for much–just being able to see and hear clearly what is going on.. On a different note, we have yet to work out what to teach and lead when it comes to children and Communion. In our denomination, some children are baptized as infants and others wait til they can choose for themselves. We basically just welcome everyone to partake–which is hospitable, but also maybe just the easy way out.

Tags: bgoakland, Book Groups 2009, intergenerational