Welcoming a Child

In tomorrow's Gospel reading Jesus takes a child in his arms and tells his disciples,

Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.

Yet despite this church can be an unwelcoming place for a child as you get lost in big chairs and among the legs of adults in a whole event geared for those older than you. Like many churches, we try to break out of this at King of Peace to make the church welcoming. We offer tips on Welcoming Children in Church and we have a Children's Church with its own choir program, and we have Kids in the Kingdom Sundays and a Kids in the Kingdom Week and we have a pretty awesome preschool.

Yet as important as all these things are (and they do matter), what creates a welcoming environment for children is when other children and especially adults know them, look for them and speak to them. Want King of Peace to be a more welcoming place? Then welcome people, all people, young, old, and even infants. In general, I think kids find King of Peace to be a homey place for them and it is this sort of welcome that creates that environment.

In the archives is the religion column Recapturing Child-like Faith.

peace,
Frank+
The Rev. Frank Logue, Pastor + King of Peace Episcopal Church