Flags being thrown up in the air. Instruments being played throughout the whole service. Snacks! The Gospel! Worship! A “no-cleanup corner.” And of course, families with even the youngest worshippers being able to worship together.
If you’ve not experienced our Connect Service, my initial hope is that you would check it out. It takes place on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month at 10:00ish AM in the Commons. So what is the Connect service? What takes place at Connect? How does Connect strive to engage even our youngest worshippers? Let’s take a look!
Coming out of COVID, many families with young children were the demographic that took awhile to make their way back to worship, for a litany of reasons: online worship was easier, it takes a lot to get several children and adults ready to go to church, kids can’t sit still for an hour, they’ll be loud, etc. All valid reasons, but as we know, there is nothing like the real thing.
At Connect, we are trying to remove as many barriers as possible for families who want to be in worship.
So what does a normal Connect service look like?
Right around 10, we start with an opening song. We understand for young families getting anywhere on time can be a struggle. During the song, our youngest worshippers are invited to come forward, grab a flag or an instrument, and make a joyful noise to the Lord!
After the opening song, we have a moment of confession and absolution and a time of visual faith. The unique way that we do that is through stations. We give time where families can head to the stations together to do a station based on the scripture readings for the day.
A few examples: When we were focusing on a scripture reading from the prophet Isaiah last year, all worshippers got to make a scroll, write on it, and take it home. When we talked about the paralyzed man being healed and lowered down through a roof by his friends, we made popsicle stick mats to remind us of God’s love. We’ve made cards that worshippers can take home or leave and we distribute to shut-ins, the food bank, etc. We’ve written sins on a whiteboard and are reminded that Jesus forgives us as we wipe them away.
After the stations comes the reading for the day, where kids can come up front and sit on the rug and hear the scripture reading for the day. Then comes the message, similar to what would take place in the 8:30 and 10:30 services in the sanctuary, but adjusted and changed a little for the Connect service and space.
After the message we have time to celebrate the Lord’s Supper on the 2nd Sunday of the month along with a prayer station where all worshippers can fill out a prayer request that will be prayed for at the service. We’ve prayed for all kinds of things! We’ve prayed for families, those having surgery, those traveling, kittens, dogs, friends, ducks, and the list goes on and on! It is a joy to show that nothing is too ‘silly’ to pray about. God wants us to pray, and we pray!
We then end the service with a blessing, a song to lead us into the week, and we reset the Commons for school on Monday morning.
Phew. That’s a lot there! And for the most part that service is around 50-60 minutes. Throughout the whole service children are invited to get up, move around, grab a snack, play on the nugget couch, play with magnatiles, dance, express their worship, and have fun!
Our Connect service is meant to be a place where families can worship together, not have to worry about noise, and can worship as freely as they need to! This service is an opportunity for those who might not feel comfortable in the Sanctuary, those who haven’t been to worship in a while, or those who are looking to get back into worship in a new stage of life. It is truly a worship service, a time to receive the gifts God gives to us, and an opportunity for the whole family to be engaged.
Here’s a few comments that families have made about Connect:
“The activity stations were kid friendly and felt right in number, service still felt fulfilling as worship for an adult and fun for the kids.”
“I like all of the interactive stations and my boys love the snacks”
“We attended just because we were curious to check it out, but realized it was a good fit for our family.”
“We enjoy and really appreciate having this option for us and the kids to hear the word and worship together.”
You can hear what other people say, but the best way to experience Connect, is to join us. It is an informal, laid-back, worship service where families can connect with each other, and families can connect with God. Check it out, invite a friend. Invite a family. Invite someone you know who would love this service.
Try it out! Give it a shot! We would love to have you!
Pastor Chris <><