Our learning journey this morning • Biblical reflections on Samuel, a boy prophet • Creating spaces for the prophetic voice of children to emerge and be heard • The role of a prophet • Children, prophesy and being an Agent of Change • Opportunity for questions and panel discussion
The Lord calls Samuel Bible Reflections - 1 Samuel 3 Verse 1-18
Who was Eli? • A Jewish priest living in the days of the Judges. • Serving God at the tabernacle in Shiloh. • Remembered for his blessing on Samuel’s mother Hannah and his part in Samuel’s first prophecy. • Had two sons, Hophni and Phineas, who also served in the tabernacle and were not very well behaved. Who was Samuel? • A boy aged 12 or early teens. • Dedicated to the tabernacle by his mother, Hannah. • Lived in the tabernacle and was mentored and taught by Eli the Priest. • Had not yet found faith or had a personal experience of God.
Chloe (9) God Is Talking To You My Picture represents God talking to a little girl on a cliff and he is telling her the word of God in space away from Earth. They are holding hands so the young girl can feel his love he gives to the world and how he lights up the world when times are getting dark. The reason I put God in space is because I think he lives in space overlooking the world. The title I chose is “God is talking to you” because I think that he does take you out of the world sometimes so no-one can hear God speaking to you in private. What I like best about my picture is the little girl is looking over the cliff and then she finds God. My main idea is to make a girl on a cliff to hold hands.
Behind the mask - Tegan age 12 When you look at your friend or teacher or relative what do you see, a confident character on the outside and a shrivelled crying child on the inside or horrible bully on the outside but every day she puts flowers by her parents grave. We will never know who they are. We should not judge a character. We should respect them. I got my inspiration from looking around me, and questioning myself, who are they? Are they who they seem? Do you think that they could be friends? During this work it has made me think how much our world assumes. We assume that being fake is ok. We assume that making others feel inferior will make us feel stronger. We assume that God will not forgive us if we do wrong. We assumed wrong. But we need to start assuming right, and start taking off the mask and showing who we really are, In the Bible 1 Samuel 2:2 it states that ‘there is no one holy like the Lord, indeed, there is no one besides you, nor is there any rock like our God.’ This quotation agrees with my piece that no one is the same. By using the quote ‘there is no rock like our God’. It emphasises that everyone and everything is different. It is also a commandment for Christianity that you can worship no one except God. My Final quotation states that even though everyone is different they are the same at heart but it depend if that heart is being hidden by a negative emotion or positive emotion, for those good qualities to really show. I hope that my piece will influence people to look behind the mask and to be friends with someone from beneath never judge the outside if you don’t know the inside.
Creating spaces for the prophetic voice of children to emerge and be heard; through spirituality and faith formation…
Two approaches to ministry with and amongst children: Informational approach • Teaching children about God in the hopes of leading them to develop a relationship with God. • Creating programmes packed with activities and a progression of content that introduces new material in stages, often telling children the answers. Formational approach • Process rather than programme, nurturing children in a relationship with God so that they more easily take in information about God from the Bible and church traditions. • Focuses on the experiences the child brings to the community and their innate spirituality, awe and wonder of life and dialogue with God through spiritual practices. • The practice of spiritual disciplines remains constant, but the individual is ever-changing. Both approaches are important in a child’s life.
Nurturing spiritual practices that release a child’s prophetic voice Key elements: • Time for silence, solitude, quiet. • Imagination, space for awe, wonder and play. • Sacred space, peace, reverence and respect for each other and the world. • Responding to God’s call as agents of change – children and adults in action together. • Understanding of spiritual disciplines, rituals and rhythms. • Understanding the role of the leader, families, church leadership and congregations in this process of being companions in Christ with children. • Opportunities for peer time and intergenerational learning and dialogue together.
Our role as facilitator/leader in creating these spaces • Changing our outlook from teacher with answers to fellow pilgrims, companions on a journey with children, companions in Christ. • Create formational groups that learn together in peer and intergenerational contexts, rather than teaching a class.
Leadership characteristics we need • Listening skills – spiritual formation groups are process-oriented. Using a rhythm of spiritual practices to explore, listening to one another and God, leaving space for God to fill the quiet. • Patience – letting things unfold in their own time. When we ask a question we don’t have to have an answer. • Acceptance – of children as they are. Modelling this, even if they are distracted in the sessions. Leave things open ended you are not teaching a point but engaging in a process of discovery.
Key points • Partner with adults, church leadership and congregations, families. How do we all do this? • Invite those in leadership to gather, explore and explain the approach of spiritual formation that accompanies children and develops as companions on a journey together. • Nurture an understanding of spiritual development and faith formation. • Talk about and create awareness of spirituality and spiritual disciplines and the importance of nurturing children’s spirituality, as the whole congregation’s responsibility. Facilitate discussions, open to all on spirituality and faith formation
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