Intergenerational Worship Ideas
The Mass Bay District sponsored a conference on intergenerational worship this past weekend as part of its Learning Congregation program. The conference highlighted worship models that integrate children and adults.
One of the important insights of the meeting was that children and adults participate in similar and voluntary ways in a strong intergenerational worship.
The morning worship included a song led by KidSing, a children’s chorus from the First Parish in Bedford. I was moved by this group, as they started the worship off with enthusiasm and joy. I was also impressed by their talent, since I rarely see children have a role in leading UU worship.
Later in the day there was discussion about why adults clapped following the KidSing song. (As a non-clapper who had felt slightly guilty, I was glad someone brought this up). One person emphasized that it is important for adults to respond to children leading the worship the same way they respond to adults leading worship, i.e. with reverent silence following the musical pieces. (However, another participant noted that UU adults often clap following adult musicians as well!)
An important point was also made by one of the presenters (Tracy Duncan, DRE at First Parish of Sudbury) about how stories are told during worship. She emphasized that story time should not be focused specifically on children, and that it should not be used to “make a spectacle” of them. Most adults do not like be put on display during worship, and neither do children. Ms. Duncan explained that when she tells stories in intergenerational worship, she does not generally invite children to come to the front of the sanctuary. One exception to this is when there is something children need to see that they cannot from the pews. Another is when children and adults alike are invited to play a role in a story being told to the congregation, a process Ms. Duncan modeled during the morning worship.