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Living Water

A Workshop Rotation™ for children by Amy Crawford PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH

WE ARE h c r u h  C e h t e B o t Called A workshop for youth confirmation programs by Ruth Noble GOAL A New Creed has been used in many confirmation programs. This statement of our United Church faith gives teens a foundation of belief that can be built on in their ongoing faith journey. The creed offers a series of statements of what we as people in The United Church of Canada believe. It is set up in a series of statements with overarching themes of belief, call, and proclamation. Each line can be created into a session of exploration with a youth group and with a confirmation group for those seeking membership in the United Church. In keeping with the theme of the Mission & Service of the United Church for 2015, we will be focusing on one line: “We are called to be the Church,” as a way to explore Mission & Service. Mission & Service works in partnership with ministries around the world and in Canada on many social justice issues, including right relations between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.

PREPARATION This hour-and-a-half workshop is separated into three parts, the foundation of the church, the ways that the 20

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foundation is built up through program and belief structure, and the wider church of charity and justice. Each section highlights one aspect of the United Church, past or present, and then the participants are given time for creative exploration. Each participant will spend time putting what they envision as church in a work of art, whether through drawing a floor plan of their church or creating another image such as a tree. Encourage the teens to be creative. Make sure there are enough paper, pencils, markers for the participants to use. Find a church floor plan template that can be filled in and outlines of the tree of life as an option to inspire the teens in their creation. If the tree outline is used, perhaps the different aspects of their church could be added in the form of leaves on the branches of a tree. Familiarize yourself with this issue of Mandate and Mission & Service at a Glance. They are a good way to illustrate the work of Mission & Service as well as the many ministries and places where we are in partnership. Find a computer and projector. Search for an image to go with each of the three parts. Write the scripture passages from the Sharing Scripture portion on index cards.

KICK-START INTRODUCTION (5 minutes) Share with participants that they will be exploring different aspects of the United Church’s history, from the beginning to the present. At the end of each part, there will be a time to create a piece of artwork that represents the church.

UCC Archives, Toronto. 76.001P/2359

PART ONE

Beginning of the church (5 minutes) Project an image of Lydia Gruchy. The United Church of Canada was formed on June 10, 1925. In 1936, Lydia Gruchy became the first woman to be ordained as a minister. To give some historical importance to this ordination, this was only seven years after women were recognized as persons in Canada. Eleven years after the United Church was formed the foundational belief that UCHY LYDIA GR women and men are called to be ministers of the church was realized. Activity (20 minutes) Begin to build your church using paper or floor plans or tree outlines. Reflect on the different aspects of church. What ministries and programs do you believe are at the core of your church, its foundation? What are the values that your church is built on? For example, is there a strong emphasis on art, or music, or social justice? Think about the elements you need to include to truly be the church. Allow time for participants to reflect and then create.

PART TWO

PART THREE

Social justice and partnership (10 minutes) God’s mission is always done in partnership. One of our responses to God’s call to mission in the United Church is giving for Mission & Service. Many Mission & Service ministries and programs reflect our belief in and commitment to partnership. Mission & Service has partners all over Canada and in other parts of the world addressing such things as child poverty, environmental issues, and issues of equality, to name a few. It is through Mission & Service that we live out what it means to be called to be the church in Canada and around the world. This is the heart and soul of what it means to be the United Church. In places in the world where there is conflict, poverty, natural disasters—places where people struggle—through our gifts for Mission & Service we walk and work with those who are marginalized. Project the image of the pie chart in M&S at a Glance. Project the world map from Mission & Service at a Glance. Spend some time pointing out the places in the world where Mission & Service is at work in partnership. Share some stories from this issue of Mandate. Activity (10 minutes) As an extension of who we are as church, you are invited to think beyond your church boundary to the world around, whether in Canada or in other parts of the world. We have heard stories about Mission & Service and have looked at the M&S world map and the pie chart budget. Where are the areas of the world that you would partner with? What are the issues that your church wants to be in partnership around e.g., environment, child poverty? Spend some time hearing from the group. Invite the teens to add their suggestions for partnerships to their artwork. When you think that the majority have completed their task, invite everyone to stand up and dance the “Hokey Pokey” song with you. (Google this if you are not familiar with it.)

Activism as a calling in the church (5 minutes) Project an image of a rainbow flag. In 1988, the United Church’s 32nd General Council made two statements about sexual orientation, church membership, and church leadership. The General Council declared that “all persons, regardless of their sexual orientation, who profess faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to him, are welcome to be or become full members of The United Church of Canada,” and “all members of the Church are eligible to be considered for Ordered Ministry.” This moved the church forward in promoting the idea that all are welcome in R AINBO W FL AG the United Church. Activity (10 minutes) Now it is time to expand on your foundation. Taking all the elements that are at the core of your church, expand those elements into ways that your church will truly live out your calling to be church. For example, if your church has art as an important part of your foundation, how would you express art in your church’s day-to-day life?

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Share with the group the idea that the Hokey Pokey is a dance of social justice. We put one foot in for charity, another foot in for justice, and both feet in to make a difference. Mission & Service is our way of putting our whole selves in. Our hearts and souls walk and work with people who are marginalized, creating a church that celebrates God’s presence here in Canada and in other parts of the world. Project an image of two feet and share with the participants the following information. The left foot is charity: providing direct service like food, clothing, and shelter; directed at the effects of injustice and short-term relief. The right foot is justice: providing social change in institutions; directed at the root causes of injustice and long-term solutions. Responding to the world solely through charity does not change the world long term. And the long-term problems cannot be addressed without the short-term support of charity. Charity and justice go together; you need both to make a difference in the world.

SHARING SCRIPTURE (20 minutes) Tell the participants that they are now going to create something to share with the group. Break into six small groups. Each small group will be given a scripture on an index card, and people in the group will have 15 minutes to prepare a skit, song, dance, or prayer to present the scripture to the whole group. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. (Amos 5:24) Mighty King, lover of justice, you have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. (Psalm 99:4)

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Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you; therefore [God] will rise up to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for [God]. (Isaiah 30:18) What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8) Learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. (Isaiah 1:17) [God] loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. (Psalm 33:5)

CLOSING BLESSING (5 minutes) Walk with us, God, in the way of justice. Guide us, Jesus, in paths of charity. Call us, Spirit, to move and grow in justice seeking faith. Amen. Ruth Noble is the United Church’s Mission & Service Engagement Coordinator.

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