When we present our children for baptism, we give them up to God to be formed in the image of Christ. Worship is the primary place where all of us are formed in Christ’s image and drawn into his ministry of love, peace, and justice. But how do we shape worship so that it will, in turn, shape our children in this way?

First, we need to recognize that not every element of worship will engage every worshiper equally. But every worship service should strive to engage worshipers of every age in some way, and worshipers of every age should have some sense of the whole movement of worship. Here are some concrete things to consider in planning worship to engage even the youngest members of the body of Christ:

Sing! Congregational singing forms children bodily into patterns of breathing together and making melody. It also forms memory so that children can recall the language of hymns in times when they are far from a church or a hymnbook. A congregation that sings with joy (or with genuine sorrow) and without self-consciousness shows a child that this is the appropriate way to express oneself to God. A congregation that is embarrassed about singing or self-conscious about not being able to do it well communicates to a child that God is more concerned about how good we sound than about our honest attempts to praise the Lord. Consider introducing new worship songs to children and letting them teach those songs to the whole congregation; in this way, you can involve children in worship leadership even as you expand the congregation’s musical repertoire.

Engage all of the senses in worship. In preparing worship, consider how to incorporate movement for the congregation. Consider introducing simple gestures at prayer (such as raising hands or placing palms together). Plan processions on feast days such as Easter and Pentecost, or on All Saints’ Day. Make use of visual imagery appropriate to your worship space, and involve the children in creating art for various times in the liturgical year. Consider how even the sense of smell might be engaged in worship: could you imagine using incense for an evening worship service? Or having bread baking during a communion service to infuse the sanctuary with its smell?

Repeat, repeat, repeat! Children are able to participate more fully in worship if there are some repeated elements from week to week. For instance, regular recitation of the Apostles’ Creed and the Lord’s Prayer teaches children the language of faith before they understand it fully. This gives children vocabulary that will later inform their questions and give them support in times of crisis. It also enables them to be full members of the body of Christ, joining the rest of the body in offering prayer and praise to God.

Connect church worship with worship in the home. Encourage families to read the Scripture lessons and sing hymns that will be sung in worship during the week so that when they come to worship, children recognize the stories and the songs and can participate more fully. Worship leaders can assist families by listing readings and hymns for the upcoming week in the Sunday bulletin or in a weekly newsletter.

Here are some new resources to help as you prepare worship that engages people of all ages:

Belonging to God: Catechism Resources for Worship. Produced by the Office of Theology and Worship and published by Geneva Press, 2003. ISBN 0-664-50236-9.
Drawing from the language of the Belonging to God catechism, this book includes suggestions for involving all the children of God fully in worship. It includes liturgical texts, stories for sermons that appeal to children, art by Gertrud Mueller Nelson, and a new musical setting of the Lord’s Prayer by John Horman that can be sung by the congregation or children’s choir.

Children in the Sanctuary: Involving Children Fully in the Worship Life of a Congregation. $29.95. Six one-hour study sessions. Video and study guide: 70-250-02-923; DVD and study guide: 70-250-02-924 To order call 800-524-2612.

Martha L. Moore-Keish, author. For more information contact Paul Galbreath, Associate for Worship, at (888) 728-7228, ext. 5311, or send him an e-mail.