Introducing the Pray-ground: Answering the Call to be Radically Inclusive

By Mykel Resino, a Parent and Margret Hernandez, Chapter Member and Chorister.  

The carpeted area in the north east corner of the Nave will be a dedicated space for children called the “Pray-ground”, launching on January 5, 2020. In an effort to welcome children as Jesus did, this new space is designed for children to engage in age-appropriate activities while experiencing worship in the Nave with their families. Soft toys, coloring pages, and other learning materials enrich children's worship and keep our littlest ones occupied. We look forward to the more active presence of children in our worship, and welcome the sounds and activity that accompany them!

Mykel: Those of you who know us know that I typically have my 3-year-old daughter Romy in the 10:30 service with me. She's not old enough for Godly Play yet and has never really warmed to the nursery. I don't expect her to sit still or be completely silent. Expectations like that wouldn't be developmentally appropriate for a child her age anyway. Since she is so accustomed to being in the service, she has learned that there's an acceptable way of "church playing"; she will quietly climb around on kneelers, "write letters” on offering envelopes, and stack up several Books of Common Prayer like blocks- she enjoys church. That being said, kids know how to read a room. She senses that church is “a grown-up place” for adult participation only. It’s not that kids don’t want to engage in or participate in our worship, they just haven’t been explicitly invited or don’t know how.  At St. Paul’s, it is often said “whoever you are and wherever you are on your journey of faith, you are welcome here”. With kids, “you are welcome here” needs to a message that is explicit, direct, and consistent. The same is true for parents, who may feel self-conscious about their children being their natural, wiggly selves in church, and thus be deterred from attending church at all. I myself have experienced this- a lot. “You are welcome here” must be explicitly, directly, and consistently communicated so our smallest members and their families feel valued, welcomed, and loved.

The Pray-ground is an outward and visible way to demonstrate these sentiments. Just like we give children their own spaces in our homes, they deserve a space in their Church Home. It's my hope that the Pray-ground will enable our children to participate more in the service (in their unique, squirmy, sometimes loud way) through various liturgically based activities and soft toys. Perhaps they won’t always understand what is going on or being said, but they understand more than we give them credit for and by our attitude they can understand that this is a holy place where they are loved and accepted as integral members of the Body of Christ. Churches everywhere are experiencing a decline in overall attendance and that of young families, and I think that the Pray-ground will help grow our CYF ministry and retain families with children as members, so the future of St. Paul's will be a very bright one. The sounds of kids worshiping is the sound of a growing, thriving church.  

Margret:  My brothers and I crammed into the pew and waited with eager anticipation. In moments, our mother would produce special, church-only activities for us to play with. Quickly and quietly, we made our selections and waited for the opening hymn and service to begin. We couldn't quite sit still through the whole service, and we certainly didn't understand all of what was said in the homily, but my mother believed it was important that we be there. She wanted us there, in community with family, friends, and neighbors, to see and experience the service because she believed being there would reinforce what we learned at home - that we are loved wildly and immeasurably, and that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. She was right. The time my brothers and I spent together in church proved foundational. We each believe that God that loves us unwaveringly, and that we are part of something wonderful, and larger than ourselves.  

In January, the Cathedral will launch the"Pray-ground" - something rather similar to the space my mother created for me and my brothers. There will be specially selected age appropriate activities in the space that allows for squirming, and for families to sit and experience the service together. This is an amazing opportunity to let children engage with the service, their families and their peers, and to learn that they too are loved immeasurably. Even though I am not a parent I see great value in investing in making our families feel welcome and young congregants engaged in the heart of Christian life- our worship. The relationships little ones make with church now impact how they may see it in the future. I am excited to see and hear children and their families in the Pray-ground space soon!