Parents sitting on the floor

Last night I felt the ground shifting below me.

No, we did not have an earthquake in Rochester Hills. It was something more substantial than that.

Maybe no one else noticed, but there was change in the landscape at the Rochester Church. No, it may not have been visible to many. It may not have been obvious to most. But there was a shift.

Last night was the first night of a three-night event called "God's Big Backyard." Part of me wants to call it a VBS, but part of me fears the baggage that may accompany that title.

This was something more.

It was a shift from babysitting with the Bible to families engaging in spiritual conversations.

It was a shift from dropping off the kids to sitting down with them.

It was a shift from children's ministry to ministry for families with children.

What does all that mean?

If you have read any of my past entries about LifeStages at the Rochester Church, you might remember that this is a fundamental shift in some of the ways we do ministry. We are moving away from ministry that separates and divides families, to ministry that brings families together. Yes, we still have "traditional" youth ministry and children's ministry events. We still offer age-specific classes and the like. But we are also challenging parents to more fully engage their role as the primary spiritual guide for their children.

I am so blessed to work down the hall from Dana Spivy. Dana is our Minister for Families with Children, and she is doing an awesome job! She is coming up on a year here at Rochester and, I believe, some of her dreams are beginning to take root. I know that this family-based event occurring this week is one of them.

So what's so different about this event as opposed to other VBS's?

Well, it may not seem earth-shattering to you, but instead of being grouped by ages, children are grouped by families. For example, Matthew, Michelle, and I were in a group together with parents and children of all ages. There were children in our group from Kindergarten through fifth grade. There were other parents sitting with their children as well. There were siblings of different ages sitting and learning together.

For way too long, the church has bought into the public education model that divides children up into age groups and teaches them separately. Is it any wonder that many teens look down on younger children as annoying? At the same time, I know many children who look up to teenagers as examples and role models. They need that and haven't gotten it enough. We have segregated groups that should be together.

In addition to that, we have robbed parents of many opportunities to sit down with all of their children at once and experience spiritual formation together. It was so cool last night seeing the Ockermans and all five of their children traveling together from class to class. I would guess the conversations about the Bible lesson were much easier to start since all seven of them listened to the same teachers at the same time.

Again, props to Dana. She is challenging us to go places we have not been before. And in the process, I believe a new era is dawning for our families with children at Rochester.

shine!
Jason