Reflection:  Faith is enacted in community

Around the world on any given day, Christians are gathering to support and encourage one another, lifting up their voices in prayer to almighty God. God is a God of community, and has made us for community. It is not accidental that we are described as the ‘body of Christ’, ‘branches’ of the vine and the ‘children of God’. These are all relational terms.

Do we ‘rejoice’ at the thought of meeting with other believers? Our meeting together to worship God is the perfect place for the children in our midst to experience God and to see what enacted faith looks like. Children benefit from positive, nurturing relationships with other adults in the faith community; demonstrating God’s love and care to them.

A church of which I was a part was a wonderful expression of this: children going and sitting with other adults during services, children going up with other children for prayer after communion and children participating in roles in the church service on a semi-regular basis. Together they were worshipping God and growing in faith together.

If you were part of a church community growing up, take a moment to reflect on how the non-related adults in that community helped in your faith formation.

What opportunities do we give the children in our midst to worship God and grow in faith with us? How do we foster positive, safe relationships between non-related adults and children in our faith community?

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank you for creating church communities in which to grow our faith and for us to help each other to worship you. Thank you for the adults who helped me develop an understanding of you as a child, including those who are not related to me. Help me to play a role in the lives of children in our faith community, as co-members of the household of God.