The first part of this year I spent intentional time with long time member and returning staff person, Angela Bartholomew, in mentoring and planning for her to take on leading children and handbell choirs for the foreseeable future. This frees me up to give about 10 hours a week to Christian Formation. What we discovered is that a team approach will continue to serve us as I take primary responsibility for Children, Youth and Families, and Angela takes primary responsibility for children and handbell choirs. We are both finding it a benefit to support each other where needed in both ministries. Seth has also stepped up his support for both of us on the music side and we are using our current staff resources in creative ways to meet our needs.

During the early months of the year I also made several grant applications to assist us in renewing our ministry. One of those grants was successfully awarded by our Diocese and is being used for training, materials and other needs particular to Christian Formation and Music. We have been without a professionally staffed nursery and a staff person whose particular role was to support this ministry since 2020. With the absence of a nursery in mind, we really needed to put some resources in the hands of our parents with young children who are attending our worship services.

One of the ways we have provided new resources is by giving our ‘busy bags’ a reboot with the help of the Diocesan Grant. Every child who wants one has been able to create their very own worship bag. We’ve helped 9 children create their own bags so far and we’ve created 4 guest bags. Children use their own bag week to week, which saves time cleaning out and restocking bags, and allows children to continue to use what is in their very own bag. We will update and include seasonal and Gospel story related handouts and activities when the school year starts. We will continue to help our children create bags as we see them in worship!

Also new to our worship space are three ‘soft space’ seating areas for families. Small tables, chairs and carpet are in these areas. They provide space for all the necessary stuff of life that comes in the doors with families, a space to use worship bag materials and a carpet to define and soften the area where busy bodies and feet wiggle around and inevitably, things fall and roll around and children crawl and sit on the floor. This is an experiment and the tables may continue to move around the room as we try it on. The tables have gotten a lot of use in just one month and a lot of praise from families with children and adults without children alike! Please contact me if you have questions about this! (215-234-8020 or email here)

Conversations around this ministry has brought much reflection on the ebb and flow of life in our church. For the first twenty years of my ministry with you we were all blessed with the presence of LOTS of children of all ages! Our space was noisy and active with their presence EVERY Sunday. It was a challenge we were grateful for as it represented a healthy, growing and vibrant community and we learned to live in joy with our youngest wiggly members. I have dearly missed their presence as have many of you. The absence of a quantity of young families has been common in churches across the country since the pandemic, but most are beginning to see the return of families just as we are! It’s an exciting time and this is coming with the need for new ways of welcoming and meeting today’s families. It also means remembering what it is like to have and welcome children in our midst. We are learning and growing together and finding new ways of nurturing the littlest in our midst and their parents! Thank you for extending warmth, smiles, welcome and patience as we live and learn together!

As we look ahead, we are implementing more family activities for all ages, but particularly ones that welcome families with children as well. Many of our adult activities are for older adults without children or provide no childcare and no activity or learning experience for families with children. Many of these new activities will be intergenerational where all are welcome. In addition to this we are adding outreach, learning and worship opportunities for families with children to participate in. Stay tuned! If you want to be involved in supporting in any way, please reach out to me in the office! (215-234-8020 or email here) I look forward to hearing from you!

While a lot has gotten underway, I will soon be away for education and vacation time for several weeks in July. During that time our advertised activities will continue, guided by our staff, Angela Bartholomew and volunteer leaders like Amy Newman, Kristen Kerwin and Kate Strite. They can also assist in creating worship bags for children who do not yet have one. Check out all the summer opportunities in our ongoing weekly email!

Sue Ellen Echard, Minister of Music and Christian Formation