The Ministry of Infants

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.