Children & Their Families in the Diocese
The Diocese of Olympia welcomes and honors children as integral members of the greater church. Local congregations are encouraged to design faith formation activities specifically for children and to develop events and activities that appeal to their families and are inclusive of the broader intergenerational community. Diocesan staff and Children & Their Families Ministry Leaders throughout the Diocese are eager to assist in creating or supplementing your existing programs for children and families.
Crowd-Source Your Questions
Whether you are new to a church staff position, a volunteer, or a parent/guardian; if you would like advice on choosing curriculum or other resources; or if you need guidance on planning an event or recruiting volunteers; drop us a line and draw from some collective experience there — no request too small! E-mail : children@ecww.org
Upcoming Children, Youth & Their Families Ministry Leadership Events:
Children, Youth & Their Families Ministry Leadership events are open to clergy, staff and volunteers who work with children and youth in a church setting or are looking to do so. Take advantage of these chances to collaborate with your colleagues, to hear from Christian educators, to share ideas, and to brainstorm for the future. Here are the details on upcoming events:
- Saturday, October 12, 2024 – Godly Play In-A-Day Gathering & Training – Saint Nicholas Building on the Saint Mark’s campus – Register here!
- January 27 – 30, 2025 – Forma – National Formation Conference, West Coast Gathering in Seattle. Registration available soon!
- Wednesday, March 25, 2025 – Children, Youth & Their Families Ministry Leadership Meeting with special guest, Valerie M. Grissom, author of All Ages Becoming: Intergenerational Practice and the Formation of God’s People
Favorite Resources for Children’s Ministry Leaders from A – Z:
Coming Soon! Creating Warm and Welcoming Church Spaces for Families and Children – A guide to creating the most welcoming spaces for the families and children in your parish. From color psychology to lighting and furniture suggestions, you will learn how to build inviting spaces with just a few tricks and tips!
Choosing a New Curriculum? Read this First – Article by Dorothy Linthicum for Building Faith, a ministry of Virginia Theological Seminary. She says, “Before we recommend curricula for specific age groups, we ask formation leaders to take a step back to look at the church as a whole, its strengths and weaknesses, its character or ethos, its beliefs and faith identity…” and includes a worksheet for doing just this.
Christmas Pageant Ideas – Tips and tricks from Building Faith, including complete scripts that you can download for free.
Curriculum for Children’s Ministry – A comprehensive overview with top picks from Building Faith, the Virginia Theological Seminary.
Follow Us on Facebook – Frequent postings include best practices and information about local events for Episcopal Children & Families Ministry Leaders in western Washington.
Forma – Follow this Facebook page for stimulating Christian Formation discussion and idea-sharing from around the country. Forma is a ministry of the Episcopal Church Foundation.
Safe Church/Safe Communities – Learn more about this on-line training that is required for all who volunteer or work with children and youth in the church.
Scope & Sequence – Suggestions on which Christian concepts to teach and when to teach them based on children’s ages and developmental stages. Covers ages 4 – 18. Published by the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama.
Sunday Storytellers – The Diocese of Olympia’s free and easy-to-use curriculum combines children’s picture books with wondering questions, hands-on Bible, and arts & crafts recommendations.
Vacation Bible School: 2024 Reviews – The annual comparison chart from Building Faith which includes selections that:
1. Emphasize God’s love and care for all people;
2. Illustrate a distinctive theme supported by a cohesive program of stories and activities;
3. Present sound learning strategies based on developmental traits of the targeted audience.
Video Archive
- Faith Formation in a Changing Church (1 hour 5 min.) – Author, blogger, educator, and faith formation cornerstone Sharon Ely Pearson uses her own family history over five generations to help explain how people’s needs for the church have changed and how the church’s cultural and educational role has changed, all of which informs how we “form faith” today. She also introduces ideas for the future including the “VUCA World” model where the church plays a role in transforming volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity into vision, understanding, clarity, and agility.
- Children’s Presence in Worship (1 hour) – In times of declining church membership, mainline congregations put considerable weight on the presence of children as an indicator of congregational vitality. But how do we truly welcome children in the life of our churches, especially in worship? If children are full members of the Body of Christ through their baptism, shouldn’t they be full participants in Word and Sacrament? Let’s explore how worship can truly be a multi-generational experience for the whole church.
Handouts Courtesy of Sharon Ely Pearson – Making Room for Children in Church & Children and Worship
- Godly Play in a New Way (1 hour 18 min.) – While Sunday school as we once knew it is on hold, Godly Play storytelling can continue thanks to Zoom and a little ingenuity. The Reverend Kay Flores, St. Timothy, Chehalis, a long-time Godly Play trainer, demonstrates how you can improve your Godly Play outreach with a document camera, a technique which better showcases the sacred stories. Kay draws from her own experience, and that of other trainers from around the country, in offering tips and making recommendations on how best to lead virtual sessions.
- Messy Church – Quick Overview (5 minutes 48 seconds) — Could the Messy Church “whole church” intergenerational approach be a good fit for your congregation?
- How Are You Reaching Children & Families Right Now? (1 hour 9 minutes) – Children & Families Ministry Leaders, clergy and volunteers in the Diocese of Olympia gather in a casual discussion of what’s working and what isn’t in this brave new world of virtual faith formation.
