2025 National Children's and Youth Ministry Conference

As the people of God seek to receive children as directed by Jesus, we have to begin by asking some important questions. What is their place in the church? How do they understand and experience God? How can we learn with and from them as we seek to become like Jesus? What gets in the way of the call to receive children as Jesus did? We will explore these questions together and think of ways that the answers to these questions might guide our practices in our communities of faith.

The Bible calls us to pass on the stories of God to our children. They do not need to be forgotten. We hope for them to write these stories on their hearts and to be formed by them. And we want them to know that God's word is living and active. God can always reveal new things to us when we return to the stories we have heard and know. In fact, I often see things in the text I have noticed when living in the story to prepare for time with the children. How do we join children in this lifelong journey of knowing God as we share the stories that shape our lives? In this workshop we will ask questions about our practices and explore together if even small changes might draw children to join us in the story, equipping them to listen to what God might have to say. And in the process, the children can guide us to listen as well.