Over the season of Epiphany we are exploring the many ways in which
children minister to others at St Philip's. This week we will look at
the gifts that many children and youth have contributed to our music
programme.
Music as an extracurricular activity as well as an
informal pastime continues to be an important part of many people's
childhood. In fact, in our culture, where many adults' main experience of
music is as a listener or audience member rather than a participant,
children, who often learn songs and musical skills as a part of
school, camp and other activities, are often more comfortable offering
their musical gifts than adults.
At St Philip's, most of our
school aged children and youth are studying at least one instrument
either in a school programme or through private lessons. Many of the
children also sing at school in choirs or as a part of their regular
classes. Singing in a group, as part of the congregation, choir or
Church school class, is a fairly familiar experience for these children
and so they are less intimidated than the average adult who perhaps
doesn't sing anywhere besides in Church.
This
has made many of the children eager to join in the music programme,
both in worship and at other parish events as St Philip's. To cite some
recent examples, at our St Nicholas service on Dec. 1st, 16 children and
youth joined our regular choir (of 20 adults) to lead the music for our
10:00am service. They attended rehearsals and learned the music
together with adults - for some of the children who don't read yet, this
was a very challenging task.
For our upcoming Youth led service,
students from the liturgy school class worked with Caitlin to select
several of the pieces we will be singing together. Through this process
they have learned about the various characteristics of a piece of music
which are considered when we choose music for worship.
Children
and youth have also shared their musical gifts at our annual Christmas
Fair where they played Christmas Carols for those in attendance. Michael
has also invited many of these young instrumentalists to play during
communion on Sunday morning. They have also offered these musical gifts
at our recent talent shows - events that have fostered the building of
community and have also served as fundraisers for both outreach and
parish ministries.
The leadership that the children have offered
musically at St Philip's has the power to draw us in. Music has a
mystical power to unite us and the eager and skillful participation of
these young musicians sets an example for us all.
This
year's annual winter retreat, organized by the Diocesan Youth Movement,
BC and Yukon Anglican Youth Movement and the staff of Sorrento Retreat
and Conference Centre is coming up over Family Day weekend in February.
At this time of year, in the midst of schoolwork, extracurricular
activities and the winter weather, many people could use a few days away
to pause, reflect and remember their connection with God, one another
and the world. This year's theme, Keep Calm and Love God, will explore
how we love God: by loving ourselves, each other and the world.
Over
the course of the weekend, there will be three short talks by speakers
from around the Diocese on our theme as well as smaller workshops on
various ways this theme ties into our lives. There is also plenty of
time for creative, relaxing and reflective activities of each person's
choosing as well as long siestas each afternoon for rest or socializing.
Finally, we all gather as a group for worship throughout the weekend
when we can connect with God and one another in prayer.
For those
youth who are considering confirmation in the near future, we highly
recommend attending this retreat. It is a great opportunity to spend
some time away thinking about your relationship with God. This year,
Cameron and I will be attending the retreat along with a group of 6-8
youth from our St Mary's and St Philip's youth group, some of whom are in
confirmation classes at St Mary's. I would encourage any other youth who
would like to join us to register soon, since space on the bus is
limited and filling up quickly! Check out the registration website for more information and registration.
Over the season of Epiphany we are
exploring the many ways in which children minister to others at St
Philip's. Last week we began with a particular example, the ministry of
Baby Connor over the course of his still brief life at St Philip's.
When
we are thinking about the ministry of children, I think it is important
to look at particular examples. Children, like all people, are each
unique creations of God. While children may share many characteristics
and gifts with other people of a similar age, each one has their own
particular gifts and calling to ministry. A person's age alone does not
define them or determine the best way for that individual to participate
in the Church community.
This
kind of stereotyping, as with any stereotyping whether based on age,
gender identity, race, class, ethnicity, etc. comes from our own
observations of a limited sample of a certain group within wider
society. From a theological perspective it can become a form of
idolatry.
As we read in Scripture, idolatry is when we ascribe
the power and presence of God to an object that represents only a part
of the reality of God. Each person, a creation of God made in God's
image is also more than simply the accumulated set of characteristics
common to groups they represent based on age, race, gender, ethnicity,
etc. When we begin to build our expectations for a particular person on
characteristics such as their age and we anticipate what this person
should be like - what ministry they should be called to. Our
observations move from the realm of the descriptive to the prescriptive
and we become blind to the unique presence of each person.
Relationship
requires real openness to the whole of who a person is and who God is
calling them to be. In the case of children, this means that we must be
open to the unique ministry that each child brings to our community.
Some may bring ministry full of energy and enthusiasm and excitement,
while others will minister in stillness and quiet and wonder. Some
children are called to music ministry, some to leading worship, some to
teaching, some to committee work and we need to open as a community to
receiving the unique gifts of each person.
So this week I would
ask that we consider how we can nurture each particular child at St
Philip's in their own ministry. Have you noticed a child at St Philip's
with a special calling that you could support? Are your expectations
about how children should participate in Church preventing you from
building relationships with these members of the community? Has the
idolatry of stereotyping put limits around your own call to ministry?
This week we have a bitter sweet announcement to make. Phil Colvin, who
has served as the Diocesan Youth Ministry Coordinator for the past five
years, will be beginning a new position on January 20th as Front of
House: Receptionist and Administrative Assistant at Synod Office. While
his presence will surely be missed amongst his colleagues in youth
ministry in the Diocese, we are glad that he isn't going too far and
will still be working with us in his new role - primarily as he is now
responsible for the Diocese's screening policy.
Phil
has done a great deal to support youth ministry at St Philip's and our
deanery. He has ensured that we at St Philip's are well connected into
the wider youth ministry of the Diocese and the province and has been
eager to promote our programs and events as well. He has worked
alongside young people from St Philip's preparing for confirmation,
serving on Diocesan Youth Movement and as delegates to Diocesan Synod.
In addition, his advice and support to me, as a new youth worker in the
Diocese over the past year and a half has been a great help.
I
would like to personally thank Phil and congratulate him and the Synod
Office on their new working relationship - I am confident it will be
very fruitful.
On a related note, a process of evaluation of the
position of Diocesan Youth Ministry Coordinator will be undertaken over
the next while. The Rev. Ruth Monette, Acting Director of Mission and
Ministry for the Diocese will lead this evaluation in consultation with
others in the Diocese, including the leadership of the Diocesan Youth
Movement. Stay tuned for more information on the future of youth
ministry in the Diocese.
Over the season of Epiphany, we will be considering different ways
that children at St Philip's are ministers in the Church. We will also
think about new opportunities for growth in this area that would help
our community to flourish and more fully live out the mission to which
God has called us.
This week to begin, I would like to share one story of how a child at St Philip's has ministered to this community recently.
Christmas
is perhaps the time of the year when the ministry done by children is
most prominent and celebrated. Of course this makes a great deal of
sense since one of the important messages of the birth of the Christ
child is that even a fragile, newborn baby can work great wonders in the
midst of a community.
Here at St Philip's over the past few
months many of us have had this very experience. In October of this
year, Chelsea Caldwell and her husband Kris Morness, welcomed their new
baby Connor into their family. Chelsea has been bringing Connor to
Church and weekly choir rehearsals since he was only a few weeks old.
So what does this have to do with children and ministry?
Connor's
main activities include such things as eating, sleeping, learning and
growing. When he interacts with others around him - whether they are his
parents, adults or other children - he invites them into the world as
he is seeing it. Those parts of our lives which we take for granted are
new achievements and experiences for an infant and he reminds us that
every part of life is filled with wonder.
Connor also reminds us
of how fragile and precious each life is. We are reminded of how we need
one another and how we have been helped and supported throughout our
lives by many caring people along the way. Our interdependence as human
beings and as part of God's creation is evident.
Connor was also
able to help us all remember that God chose to share the experiences of
human beings even as an infant when he came to live as one of us. As
baby Jesus in this year's Pageant service, Connor, just by being there,
in front of the congregation, sleeping soundly in a manger, brought a
reality of the life of God into our midst that hasn't been a part of
that service in past years. He did this in a way no prop or adult person can. He preached God's Word with his whole being
and ministered to us in the process.
This is a unique ministry
done by many children; a ministry of presence. Without children in our
midst, we might forget that God lived among us as an infant, fragile,
dependent on others and yet full of life and wonder.
Happy Epiphany Blessings to you all! We made it through another Advent and Christmas season, hopefully intact. Congratulations on making it through to all those for whom this is a busy and exhausting time of year. I hope you have had a bit of time to catch your breath. As a gift to you, I made the following collage of images (okay, I also did it because I love using publisher, but I still think it is pretty).
Constellation Ministry has had a fabulous first year of combined
ecumenical youth ministry in Vancouver. With events from outreach to
sleepovers to the Easter Sunrise Service, we have experienced many
different ways of doing youth ministry together. We have also learned a
great deal about what youth ministry we have each been involved in for a
long time and been able to find ways to support each other in these
ministries. St Philip's has been at the heart of this new endeavour
hosting several Constellation events and contributing to every event in
one way or another.
As we enter a new calendar year, we look
towards the future of Constellation and we hope to take some time out
from planning and holding events for reflection and visioning. With a
full year of experience now under our belts, we believe it is time to
take a step back and consider what our vision is for the future of
Constellation Ministry. The leaders would like the input of young
people, parents, clergy, volunteers and youth leaders about how
Constellation can support youth ministry in Vancouver.
In order
to do this, we will be hosting a visioning morning with a small group of
interested people on Saturday, Jan. 25th at St Philip's. We will gather
from 9:00am-12:00pm and dream and plan together. We will consider our
collective mission, values and goals both in the short term and the long
term.
We also hope to try some new things and learn even more
about how to empower young people in faith together. At our last leaders
meeting, the group proposed that we try out having some Constellation
events specifically for either junior or senior youth. We will be moving
forward with one of each of these events in the next few months.
Our
first senior event will be an afternoon Bible Study hosted by Lakeview
Multicultural United Church. The Bible study will be using the "Banned
Questions of the Bible" study resource to guide their discussion on some
of the more challenging passages of Scripture. This event will be led
by Mayon Marcelino, youth minister from Lakeview United and former
student at Vancouver School of Theology. We are excited to have yet
another parish host their first Constellation event! The event will be
from 3-5pm.
Thank you to everyone who has helped make this first
year a great success: youth leaders, parents, clergy, volunteers, those
who have held us in prayer and welcomed us into their Churches and of
course all of the unique and wonderful young people who inspire and
drive this ministry.
