New beginnings


Yesterday was my first official Sunday at my latest placement church – Larbert East. I had snuck in the week before didn’t announce who I was or why I was there (apart from to the one who sussed me out). Anyway, it was in at the deep end, doing the opening prayer and the all-age talk (primarily aimed at the young people). The children were (mostly) all wearing their name badges to help me out. It was a very considerate thought but nearly ruined my opener. But that still worked and helped break the ice and I got plenty of enthusiastic participation thereafter. I’ve been involved in children’s work in some shape or form for years and yet it’s the one aspect of a morning service that is the most daunting for me. Simply because you get away with nothing. There will always be someone with the utterly bizarre answer or the loooooong explanation that completely throws you off your stride. I was spared that on Sunday and hopefully got a message across as well as introducing myself a bit to everyone.

It was also good to get a warm reception from everyone – but I knew it was a friendly and welcoming place already. And my low-key visit of the previous week had confirmed that it was simply because of who I was but was a welcome that would be extended to anyone.

So, an encouraging start to a placement that is shaping up to be an excellent learning experience judging by some of the goals mapped out already.


3 responses to “New beginnings”

  1. That sounds like a good start. I think most folk find Children’s Talks daunting – so it’s worth trying to make them fun as well! Enjoy your placement, but don’t work too hard!

  2. You’ve landed well with Larbert East, John. Melville is a very good ‘bishop’ with a great deal of experience and understanding.
    As for Children’s Addresses… I always have a route map with A and B as start anbd finish, but rarely if ever have a direct route, and frequently arrive at destination C because of the randomness and honesty of the responses. And sometimes C is a better place to finish ! We learn as much as the kids do (hopefully) !

  3. Stewart,

    Daunting in the sense that I know from experience that they can go off on wild tangents. Not that that really bothers me. I do tend to follow David’s method – have a start and a desired end, happy to let it meander getting there, And I’ve done enough children and teenage work to be able to guide things back on track. It does mean that you have to be really on the ball the whole time though. And if it does end up at a different destination, so be it – just need to be able to work with that.

    Sunday’s one was more ‘guided’ than normal simply because I was using it as a vehicle both to introduce myself and and also get across a message. That’s when it does get slightly more fraught because you don’t want it to go off on too much of a tangent.

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