Dear Friends, for a while I have had it on my heart to write a book, loosely around the adventures and misadventures my wife and I have had with churches. However, I couldn’t get a clear picture and structure for this. I considered using the Camino as a metaphor. Then, this morning, as we were going for a walk and discussing the state of our world, the penny (insert currency here) dropped. Our real issue, if sharpened to one point, is the place of children in the church. Today we have extremes where children are missing because the congregation is aged, or missing because the children have been hived off into children’s ministry in another place or room. For many other churches there is not a clear picture of where the children fit into the people, and worship of God.
So in the months/ year or so to come my blog will be even less regular as I try to put flesh to the ideas we have. I have a working title: Alarm Bells: Where have all the children gone? I hope to have time to still post some of my eclectic ramblings, poetry, travel anecdotes, devotions and other guff. So please be patient with me.
Travels from Ur 
Love this idea! For decades I’ve been preaching how Paul addressed children in his letters to the Ephesians and Colossians … as if children were present when the letters were read and discussed … as if children were expected to hear and understand the same words and doctrines as the adults. I’ll be praying for clarity and the direction of the Spirit of God as your undertake this important work.
Thank you for the encouragement Richard. I need it!
Add my encouragement too, Pieter. “Children in the church” has been major among Helen and my passions also. It’s below the radar for many, it seems. Sadly, I don’t feel a book coming on, but I’m confident you could come up with something worthwhile. Jonathan Vandenberg, CRCA Youth Min, has also been interested in intergenerational church issues and has done some practical work in this field.
Cheers!!! I look forward to what great goodness God has for you to bring forward. Let me know and I would love to read it. Let me know if I can help out in any way! Bless God and God bless.
Excellent idea. Without children our Church will surely fade. As a practical suggestion out of left field I suggest you refer to ::
Family enrichment with family clusters / Margaret M. Sawin.
Sawin, Margaret M.
I realise it is 1979 publication but from personal experience it offers the best model for intergenerational learning I have come across and I believe some of the exercises could be well adapted to integrating the various age groups in effective learning (and involvement!) in a Church setting..
Thanks guys for your encouragement, suggestions and leads. I really appreciate them. My first task now is to immerse myself in some more reading. Keep praying!