The Center for Congregations hosted a day-long workshop on March 29, 2007 at First Christian Church in Ft. Wayne. The workshop was led by T. Wyatt Watkins, author and pastor and appealed to pastors and directors of children’s ministries.
Watkins remarked, "In Matthew 18:1-5 Jesus made children the measure of spiritual greatness." He also remarked that children have special ways of expressing their spirituality. "Where prayers of lament are concerned, what could be more important than putting a child’s tendency to whine in a spiritual context? Give them the freedom to speak and then help them put that into relationship with God. The purpose of lament is to process our sorrows and grievances with God."
One participant, a children's minister, commented, "Psalm 130 is a lament that gave me so much comfort. It can serve as a guide to help children through loss and teach them that God is a faithful God and is present in the midst of their pain."
"We stand in a long stream of assumptions about children," commented Watkins, "that young children are incapable of being in a meaningful relationship with God. Not only are children spiritual creatures but they are tapped into the realm of God in a way that adults need."
Kara Faris
