Welcome to The Hidden Congregation Bringing children’s and family ministry into college training programmes A confere

1. Welcome to The Hidden Congregation Bringing children’s and family ministry into college training programmes A conference hosted by The Consultative Group for Ministry among Children November 22nd 2012

2. The Big Picture A presentation from CGMC Children, Young People, Families .... and the Church - Where are we now?

3. Background to the work of CGMC members ‘Changing times require changing responses’ (from ‘Will our Children have Faith?’ By John Westerhoff 11 )

4. The context for the work of CGMC members • Children and Family engagement with Christianity • Church engagement with children • Childhood is changing • Sunday church is still haemorrhaging

5. ‘It takes the whole church to raise a child’ ‘A church that welcomes children and young people, accepts their gifts and ministries.... and continues to learn the values of the Kingdom by living them, is a church which is good news not only for it children, but for all its members and for the world’ (from Unfinished Business- The Child in the Church)

6. The challenge for the work of CGMC members • Professional children’s and family workers in churches • Children and their families - active not passive • Children and their families need a choice and a voice • A good ‘church’ childhood • Children are fully human

7. Common threads and concerns in our work with churches as identified by CGMC members

8. Good news • How can the church not just preach good news but be good news for its children? • A church that enables all to participate embracing • and responding to the UN rights of the child. • A Christian home for children and families • An organic community

9. Essentials • How can the church create a safe environment for children, families and carers? • Developing relationships • The value of play • Empowering children and young people • Giving children and young people a voice

10. Links • How can the church build better links with the wider community? • Partnerships with schools • Linking with secular initiatives and projects • Social action on behalf of children and families • A welcoming, hospitable space

11. Good practice • How can the church promote good practice for work with children, families and carers? • Ecumenical training initiatives • Facilitating an on-going dialogue • Commissioning and publishing robust research • By raising the profile of children and young people

12. Discipleship • How can the church develop positive models of faith nurture and discipleship for children? • Encourage families in children’s faith formation • Support families and carers • Recognise ‘the seeds of exclusion’

13. Cross-generational Initiatives • How can the church build new Christ-centred communities? • Promote an all-age approach to church • Develop a holistic approach to the ministry and mission of • the church • Develop leadership that nurtures a communal spirituality • Continue to work out the implications of ‘belonging, • believing , behaving’

14. Implications • What might this mean for training future church leaders? • Do theology with a serious and sustained • reference to children and their families • Recognise that ‘placing a child in the midst’ can • throw new light on every aspect of theology • Acknowledge that the church can no longer afford • to ignore children and young people

15. ‘Children need to see an ethos of ministry and mission modelled for them by parents, church leaders and other significant adults’ From – Post-Modern Children’s Ministry by Ivy Beckwith