Children & Youth
We view the Inclusive Atrium as a resource to your family. Let’s have tea and talk about your family’s story or swing by and borrow a book (we have lots covering topics as varied as grief, gender identity, and baptism). We are here to support you in hard conversations, rejoice in the rhythms of life, and be beside you through all the quotidian moments in between.
Our approach is steeped in a Montessori approach to child development and creating of love of wonder and listening to God. To do that we slow down so children have time to listen to God, reflect, and ask questions.
We provide practical skills to find joy in offering the gifts to the world. We teach a love for Jesus as the Good Shepherd, nurture their development in the True Vine, and offer a profound connection to what is happening in church.
Tinies (0-3 years)
Our goal for this age is that as they grow they can only imagine a world filled with the love of Christ. We begin with developmentally appropriate materials for the child to explore. Around 18 months, we introduce the child to the prayer table, model altar, and the Good Shepherd parable.
Littles (3-6 years)
We just get so excited as children begin to express the inward workings of God in their spirits. Whether it is asking a guide to not interrupt them because they are listening to God really hard or connecting the parts of the altar to the communion table and the breaking of the bread as part of Jesus’ special meal with his friends, we rejoice to see the beauty of a child coming to God for themselves.
Lower Elementary (6-9 years)
These children are earnestly working out what it means to live in the Kingdom of God. They ponder deeply, ruminating over a parable or a prayer. Their prayer journals are filled with illustrations and phrases they create as a response to their own ponderings about a passage.
Upper Elementary (9-12 years) - All the way to 13 years.
Sitting with these children as they look for the Plan of God in specific passages is an intellectual full contact sport. Their minds work to understand what in their lives advances the Plan of God and what will the future be when God’s Kingdom is on Earth as it is in Heaven.
You can read more about Inclusive Atrium here. We also offer cooking classes, camps, and day retreats along with offering spaces for local partnership for art, gardening, and makers space events. All adults working with children are background checked and trained. See the overview of our Inclusion and Protection policy here.
How Do I Encourage My Child to Attend Church?
Many people struggle to get their children excited to attend church. You’re not alone. Here are some tips to help you encourage your child to be excited to go to church:
- Talk about it. Have an open discussion with your child. Explain what church is, its purpose, and why you personally enjoy attending church. The more they can understand about God and why church is important to you, the more likely they will find church to have meaning in their own lives.
- Faith at home. It’s important to encourage faith at home as well. Consider asking your child to say the blessing over dinner, pray together, or do a home devotional or bible study. If you can make home feel like church (in a good way), you can make church feel like home too!
- Set the example. Our children look up to us, and they’re always watching (whether they admit it or not). That’s why it’s so important to set the example. We need to show them that we’re also excited to worship God, grow our faith, and take part in our church community. When they see church is a priority in our own lives and that we actually live out the teachings of Jesus, it’s the strongest proof of our faith.
How Do I Encourage my Child to Participate in Church?
- Use a Worship Bag with low thinking engagement, so they can fidget while following along. Just return it to the basket when you are done.
- Whisper in church. Colin really won’t care. We provide a little guide for parents about narrating church. That’s found near the worship bags.
- Set the example. Our children look up to us, and they’re always watching (whether they admit it or not). That’s why it’s so important to set the example. We need to show them that we’re also excited to worship God, grow our faith, and take part in our church community. When they see church is a priority in our own lives and that we actually live out the teachings of Jesus, it’s the strongest proof of our faith.