On Saturday, May 14, we held our first Worship for Wee Ones at Forest Hill United.  With great enthusiasm from those present, we had a wonderful worship experience for the youngest in our community.

Worship for Wee Ones came out of my brain a couple of years ago when I had a baby of my own.  While on maternity leave, I would take my son to the Library and the Family Resource Centre to programs aimed at this age group.  These were great chances not just for the little ones to learn to socialize but for tired, isolated parents to connect as well.  I realized that the church was missing an opportunity to offer this to people in a God-centred way.

So as we gathered on that Saturday, we began with action prayers and singing interspersed with some stories from board books.  Then we moved to snack time, did a craft, and finished with more singing.  This session had the theme of animals so we read about Noah's ark, had animal puppets to play with during the singing, and made bear puppets.  We used animal songs like "Mr. Noah Built An Ark" and prayers like "The Parakeet Prayer."

Last year, I wrote a description of the program from the Christian Life and Growth Committee of Maritime Conference.  I share a slightly edited version with you here now.

Christians come in all shapes and sizes. Some walk to church, some drive to church, and at our church, some even crawl to church.
 

When our minister and her husband became new parents, they quickly began to realize the challenges of taking an active wee one to church on Sunday morning. Parents of our youngest adherents often find it difficult to relax during a regular worship service as they try to calm the crying and contain the toddling.
 

So, our church decided to offer a worship experience geared toward babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and those who love them. We call it Worship for Wee Ones and advertise it as a time “where babbling is expected and fussiness is accepted.”

During this time, parents and wee ones gather on playmats and cushions for one hour once a month. Our time begins with special prayers, action songs and storytelling. We end with a time for snacks, free play and much-needed adult conversation.
 

This small group for extra-small people is meeting the spiritual needs of many who would otherwise be hesitant to take part in church life. It's not uncommon for church regulars sans wee ones to join us because they simply enjoy the energy of the group.

So, we're trading coffee and cookies for Num Nums and juice boxes – at least for a wee while.

Since our trial run of Worship for Wee Ones was a success at Forest Hill United, we plan to offer it once a month when the Fall arrives.