Develop a Discipleship System
Children First Worship
By Kevin Johnson
Are you interested in preparing children for energetic worship? Could you offer a multigenerational worship experience once a month? Would you like a great way to incorporate worship themes and liturgical seasons into the DNA of your faith community? Would you like for the children to feel some ownership and leadership of your church’s worship service?
If you answered “yes” to any or all these questions, then Children First worship is for you!
Family worship is the future of worship. As we are coming out of the pandemic and returning to worship in person, we find ourselves asking how to become more engaged with our congregation. This webinar offers a creative, energetic new approach to worship that is meaningful for adults and accessible for children.
Learn about an intergenerational, inclusive, interactive worship experience, Children First. Sadie Stratton Wohlfahrt learned about Children First directly from its creator, Mark Burrows (North Texas Conference) and successfully implemented the ministry at First United Methodist Bentonville (Arkansas Conference). This worship service quickly became the best-attended each month and made FUMC Bentonville's family ministries the fastest-growing in the state.
Join us as Sadie discusses the philosophy behind family worship, the basics for starting your own program, tips, tricks, ways to handle roadblocks, and answers for your questions. Participants will have an opportunity to apply their learning toward the practical creation of a Children First worship service. This will include steps needed prior to the launch of the service, creation of an actual service, the role of both children and adults, and follow-up steps to maintain engagement with the congregation. This webinar will deepen the faith formation of the entire congregation.
Watch the video archive of this webinar:
Facilitators:
Sadie Stratton Wohlfahrt has led Children First worship in Bentonville, Arkansas, for many years. She laid the foundation of spiritual discipleship of children through this energetic and exciting approach to worship. Sadie is passionate, loving, and strategic. She models a strong relationship with Jesus, and she deeply yearns to share her love of Christ with others. She is currently studying at Iliff School of Theology.
Rev. Kevin Johnson is Director of Children’s Ministries for Congregational Vitality & Intentional Discipleship at Discipleship Ministries. Kevin’s hero, Fred Rogers, suggests that we, “listen to the children, learn about them, learn from them. Think of the children first.” This quote defines Rev. Kev’s approach to ministry. Kevin, an ordained elder of the Kentucky Annual Conference, has more than fifteen years of leading worship in which he has thought of the children first.
Rev. Kevin Johnson is the Director, Children’s Ministries for Congregational Vitality & Intentional Discipleship at Discipleship Ministries. Kevin’s hero Fred Rogers suggests that we, “listen to the children, learn about them, learn from them. Think of the children first.” This quote defines Rev. Kev’s approach to ministry. Kevin, an ordained elder of the Kentucky Annual Conference, has over fifteen years of ministry experience in which he has thought of the children first. Prior to ministry, Kevin worked with children in the hospital setting and in group homes for emotionally and physically abused children.
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