Gloria Dei Lutheran Church

1101 North River Boulevard, Wichita, Kansas
The Church on the River by the Castle

Sunday Eucharist at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m.

Wednesdays, Eucharist 5:30 p.m.

Thursday Matins: 10:00 a.m.

The Third Monday, Compline (Prayer at the close of day) 8:15 p.m.

                   Living Our Faith with Joy and Enthusiasm!

National Church Development

As we continue learning how to express our faith with Joy and Enthusiasm, the May issue of The Lutheran has published an article entitled Tending Souls-Helping Parents to nurture spirituality in children.

Children have an innate spirituality an insatiable curiosity, a delightful sense of spontaneity, a deep capacity for trust, surprise and creativity. What they don’t have yet is a language to express it. As parents we can give them the language, the tools to reflect and explore their spiritual experiences or it will remain dormant for a lifetime.

Perhaps we’re not all that certain about what we believe and don’t know what to tell our children. The truth is that if we take our children’s hands on a journey of faith, we’ll find that they will help open our souls and enrich our spiritual lives, too.

FIVE PATHWAYS TO SUCH DISCOVERY

1. EXPLORE YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE
Don’t be afraid to talk about God because you think you aren’t an expert. If you are open to God’s presence, to the sacred in your life then you can listen for it in lives of your children.

Every moment is an opportunity to nurture their spiritual life. How we react when we see a homeless person, how we reach out to someone who is ill, what we say when we see a dead animal on the road will teach our children volumes about what we believe. How we respond when things don’t go our way, how often we are willing to say we’re sorry and how often we forgive will tell our children what it means to be faithful.

2. ENGAGE IN RITUAL AND CHERISH SYMBOLS
Children love drama and repetition. Create rituals for mealtime, bath time, bedtime, you teach them about faith as you express hospitality, gratitude and compassion in the rituals of holidays.

3. READ TO YOUR CHILDREN
Don’t limit your reading to “religious” books. Look for children’s books that grapple with the same questions they do-jealousy and anger, unfairness and loss-with characters who find a way through difficulty and tough times. Don’t choose ones that preach. Choose ones that simply tell a good story.

4. MAKE TIME FOR PRAYER AND SILENCE
Setting aside moments in a busy day to offer a traditional prayer at meals and bedtime is important. But also encourage children to pray from their hearts, and let them hear you say a prayer from your heart. Ask your children to think of something for which they are grateful, or about which they are worried or afraid. Encourage them to tell you about their disappointments and regrets, their joys and delights. Naming these experiences is a form of prayer.

5. BELONG TO A COMMUNITY
Children not only require soccer coaches, they need spiritual mentors for life. They need to see other people who live lives of generosity and grace, of courage and caring.
If you are willing to see the world through a child’s wonder filled eyes, you’ll find that they open a door to the sacred that will deepen your life of faith.

-Reviewed by Helen Drennen

Send mail to webmaster@gloriadeiwichita.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: January 08, 2008