“We
need to start asking 'what can we not do together?' rather than
allowing
the church to operate with a separatist default
position.”
Hi
“There
is no short cut to building all-age
community but
the investment pays dividends. How much blessing and wisdom
will
be missed if we deny ourselves the opportunity to learn from one
another? How perilous could it be to never hear the message
of a
twenty-first century Samuel, or listen to the story of a modern-day
faithful Simeon? When our children prophesy and our older
people
dream dreams (Joel 2:28), those things are to be shared.
We need one another because of our
diversity
[culturally, economically, age] and the world needs a church that knows
the meaning of reconciled community.
A purely pragmatic response to church decline would say that we should
simply group like with like in order that some might be
saved.
Our contention is that the church of all ages is the clearest way to
embody kingdom values of welcome and reconciliation in order that the
whole world might be saved. “
The above quote and paragraphs are taken
from a
booklet (28 pages) Body Beautiful? Recapturing a Vision for All-age
Church that I read in preparation for running the three all age
workshops at the WAY2GO training events. The book has inspired me even
more to help churches explore all age faith not as an alternative to
church as we currently know it but as something that is the core of
what church is.
Scripture Union was invited to have a
display stand
at the Presbyterian youth, children, and family ministry leaders expo.
I went along to staff the display and was asked to run a workshop of my
choice. I chose to run the same on I did at the WAY2GO days on all ages
together. It was the most well attended workshop on the day which does
not surprise me any more as many churches are now wanting to explore it
further.
A
knight of the Green Bucket 
+64 9 379 9363 x 5
+64 21 073 7363
AndrewR.SUNZ
P O Box 8517
