Resource Library

Bibliography - Children and Worship

A bibliography of resources about children and worship

Article | Bibliography | August 11, 2022

Children and Worship Showcase

A showcase highlighting the importance of including children in meaningful ways in worship, both in the main worship space and in other age-appropriate, unique worship spaces.

Topic Showcase | August 03, 2022

Mimi L. Larson on Pastors, Pressures, and Intergenerational Worship

Pastors play a crucial role in promoting or preventing intergenerational worship. Scholar Mimi L. Larson explains why, despite the pressures, pastors should treat children as full image bearers of God. This choice influences how all ages engage with God in worship.

Conversation | January 11, 2022

Mimi L. Larson on Keys to Involving Children in Worship

Scholar Mimi L. Larson explains how theology, beliefs about children's capabilities, and pastors influence whether or how children meet God in worship. She says that Black church culture offers valuable examples.

Conversation | January 11, 2022

Brandon Helder on The Gift of the Cross Holy Week Devotional for Children

Brandon Helder's elementary students and his own children responded to tactile Jesse Tree devotionals during Advent, but he couldn't find similar Holy Week resources. To help children and families anticipate Easter, Helder wrote The Gift of the Cross: Celebrating Christ Through Holy Week and designed Resurrection Blocks.

Conversation | December 09, 2021

Mimi L. Larson on Engaging Children in Worship

As full image-bearers of God, children can and do have authentic experiences of worship. God interacts with and wants to be in relationship with them. Mimi L. Larson is researching how faith development styles and church theology influence children’s faith formation.

Conversation | December 03, 2020

Lora Copley and Elizabeth Vander Haagen on Family Prayer and Worship

Families spending more time together during COVID-19 stay-at-home orders have the opportunity to nurture—or begin—daily practices of family worship and prayer.

Conversation | May 01, 2020

Lora Copley on Preparing Families for Sunday Worship

If you have been wanting to start or strengthen your family’s faith formation, perhaps the new coronavirus pandemic offers a novel opportunity.

Conversation | May 01, 2020

The Lord's Supper Liturgy

Lord's Supper liturgy that includes children asking questions.

Resource Guide | October 08, 2019

Bibliography - Children's Books About Worship

An annotated list of excellent children's books about worship.

Bibliography | September 02, 2019

Teaching Children about the Meaning of the Lord's Supper

Gathering at God's Table is a new, vividly-illustrated bilingual children's book which introduces young children to the meaning and significance of the Lord's Supper

Audio | February 22, 2017

Faith Formation in Children, Teens and Emerging Adults

Children think differently from adults. Greater understanding of how children think can help parents, pastors and ministry leaders foster healthy faith in each stage of development.

Article | September 21, 2016

Faith Formation from Birth to Age 20

This fast-paced audio session is helpful for parents, teachers, mentors and anyone who cares about the faith formation of the next generation.

Audio | August 24, 2016

Olivia Stewart on Young Children and Worship

It sounds counter-intuitive, especially today. But it turns out that helping children learn to get quiet in their own ways is huge for helping them encounter God.

Conversation | January 21, 2016

Children and Worship: Helping Them to Experience God

This video provides information on the Children & Worship program and why it is so effective in the spiritual development of young children.

Video | January 05, 2016

Liturgy, Anthropology, and Life Cycle

How do children worship best? How can worship help young people through the teen years? What practices of worship resonate most with adults and elderly people?

Audio | February 23, 2015

A New Vision for Children in the Worshiping Community

This article translated into Korean calls for worship services that seek to enable the participation of adults and children alike.

Article | November 17, 2014

What Makes All Ages Delight in the Psalms

The learning went both ways when two school communities decided to “dwell in the Psalms” for a year. Their Psalms-based creations revealed that the Spirit can work through kids and adults of any age to nourish faith.

Feature Story | November 07, 2014

Kathy Hanson on Youth Delivering Homilies

Usually teachers give the homily during daily worship at Mustard Seed School in Hoboken, New Jersey. When the school asked every eighth grader to give a homily, the results surprised and blessed the whole community.

Conversation | November 07, 2014

The Church of All Ages Annotated Bibliography

An annotated bibliography of resources useful to reach all ages of a congregation.

Bibliography | April 16, 2014