Another thing that I liked at the church I attended on Sunday: seems like a good children's ministry.
There's a morning tea each term where parents get to meet teachers. The teachers also seem willing to engage with parents.
Contrast that to a church of previous experience where teachers and parents were like ships passing in the night. I recall dropping my son at his class and the teachers not even looking at me, let alone greet me. Similarly at pick up time. No cheery anything! I may as well have been a photograph! I insisted that my son farewell his teachers and say thank you, as did I. But they never sought my name or disclosed their own; one I attempted to engage in discussion about the program gave a very reticent response!
There's plenty of distance that children's ministry could go; first off would be more mature teachers. In some places the teachers are barely children themselves; partly because of the Anglican practice of having children's church at the same time as adults church, so its the youth from the evening service who often teach Sunday School (sorry, old term for it). I'd be happier with teachers who had some experience of children, such as being parents.
The idea of the morning tea is a good one. I'd also like to see a dinner, perhaps twice a year, including a talk from the Sunday School coordinator on their approach and what had been done through the year. If that was coordinated with local scripture teaching in schools, even better.
The word coordinator reminds me; I was impressed with this morning's church that every man and his dog was not a 'leader'. Most people doing jobs were 'coordinators'. Excellent. I think in a church community we have ministers, generally, teachers and helpers: coordinators! The idea of 'leader' is not a helpful one as it passivates others into followers, when we are all followers of Jesus the Christ.
