children || schools || youth
f.e & h.e || lifelong learning

Children's work

Thank God for children's work!

Does your Church encourage children to express their theology like the child who drew this picture? In other words, does it:

• take children seriously?
• recognize their gifts and ministries?
• nurture their spirituality, or just feed them Bible stories?
• see them as equal partners with adults on the journey of faith?

Children have their own particular gifts and ministries. Does your church provide an arena for them to use their gifts and develop their ministries.

If your church is concerned about any area of children's work, use the links below to find out more about the help that is available:

• Use this 'Charter for Children' as a guideline for good practice.
• Contact others for advice and help.
• Find good resource materials for children's and youth work, and all-age worship and learning.
• Get trained.

Child protection

Whatever the format of a church's children's work, it is important that child protection guidelines and good practice are implemented at all levels. This belief resulted in the House of Bishops' Policy on Child Protection, available from Church House Bookshop.

The regulations are in place to protect not only children and young people, but also those adults who are committed to working with and for them.

If you are not sure what you should be doing, or you would like further advice and help, then contact your Diocesan Office.

Children and Holy Communion

In November 1996, after many years of debates, reports and experimentation, the General Synod of the Church of England accepted the House of Bishops' Guidelines on the Admission of Baptized Persons to Holy Communion before Confirmation - which of course includes children. The dilemma for the Church has been (and still is for many): if baptism is full membership of the Church, then on what grounds are children excluded from receiving Holy Communion? Each of the 43 dioceses in England is debating and implementing these guidelines.

For many parishes the traditional pattern of baptism, confirmation and first communion will remain the norm. For those who already involve children closely in eucharistic worship, there are now two further options to consider: One is to confirm children much earlier. The second is to admit baptized children to communion and bring them to confirmation much later as an adult rite of commitment.

Further information can be obtained from Diana Murrie or any diocesan Children's Work Adviser. The House of Bishops' guidelines referred to above and Children and Holy Communion are both available from Church House Publishing.

For information on any of the above subjects, contact:

• Diana Murrie.