August-September 2022 Vineyard

families coming together for worship
What’s happening at the
PrayGround?
It’s been a year since we launched our PrayGround! Just
like our faith, the PrayGround isn’t static or finished;
it’s an ongoing journey. We have already taken several
items out and added several in. To keep kids engaged
and interested, we have the books on a rotation system
with the books in the Kid Kits, as well as the basket
of children’s books in the narthex. We also rotate the
books according to the church seasons.
Our first year has been a learning
process between families using
the space and other congregation
members. As we’ve been adjusting,
some have expressed concern about
the noise level and distraction.
Others have shared some very
positive feedback:
Our kids clearly love the PrayGround
and look forward to going to
church because of it!”
My kids love being with the other kids at church. I
figure they are having their own kind of ‘fellowship.’
They love helping baby xxx, which I think is God working
through them. Very different ministry from sitting with
mom and dad all the time.”
What a great idea the new PrayGround has been. As
an official ‘oldster’ here, I am pleased to share that
I have not found the PrayGround noisy or disturbing to
my aging ears. Children are the future of every church,
and all churches struggle to figure out how to attract and
welcome young families. This space says, “We welcome
you, we want you here, we hope you’ll come back!”
We want you to know that concerns are being
discussed and addressed, and we ask for your patience
as we continue to fine tune this ministry to work for
all ages. The PrayGround grew out of three years of
research, talking with colleagues at Youth Ministry
conferences, and meeting with other local churches.
We researched layouts, location, what to have in it,
what to NOT have in it, what items help engage kids in
worship and what items distract them from worship,
etc. We believe this space is important for our little
ones, and we want to keep sharing the “why” of our
PrayGround.
3
Why have a PrayGround?
X
X
Children are the church. This is something we
strongly believe. They are the church RIGHT NOW,
not just in the “future.” We want to show our kids
they are a priority to our congregation and an
important part of St. Mark’s.
Early participation in intergenerational
worship matters. One of the goals of our youth
ministry is to teach kids that we are never done
learning and growing in our faith; it’s a life-long
journey. And part of that journey is worship
literacy: knowing and understanding
what happens in worship each week,
why it’s important, why we have certain
sacraments and rituals. When kids
participate in worship starting at an
early age, they are already learning
this. In fact, the authors of Sticky Faith:
Everyday ideas to build lasting faith in
your kids, Kara Powell and Chap Clark,
found in their research that participation
in intergenerational worship was the
number one predictor of whether or not
emerging adults would participate in the life of
faith and the life of the congregation beyond their
high school years.
What’s next?
This Fall we are starting Family PrayGround
Orientations. Young families with kids in the
PrayGround age group (age 2 to 6) will be invited to
join us at church to review what options are in the
PrayGround, as well as the expectations for both kids
and parents. We will review the PrayGround Covenant
that hangs on the wall in the sanctuary, and do some
role playing with the kids to practice quiet voices,
areas of play, and more.
If you’re a parent with PrayGround-aged children,
please mark these orientation dates on your calendar:
• Tuesday, Sept 13 at 6 p.m.
• Sunday, Sept 18 at 9 a.m.
We ask for your prayers and patience as we continue
this journey. We are so grateful for the support and
will continue to keep the congregation updated as
we tweak the space. We urge you to delight in the
children’s laughter and smile when they ask questions
or participate in worship in a new way.