Dear Westwood Family,

On Sunday mornings at Westwood Kids, we offer a rich program of faith formation for our children. It happens all through the morning: from when kids share in the songs and prayers that start our Sanctuary worship gathering, through innovative arts and movement-based lessons that Isabel leads, during snack time, through our Godly Play storytime with Dr. Deanna, as well as the creative responses to it, until kids rejoin their grownups at the end of the morning. I am so proud of the way our program is designed to pass along both the treasures of our traditions and the open-minded values of our progressive theologies, all with care and attention to the development and experience of children.

I invited Dr. Deanna Edwards, Director of Children and Family Ministries, to write our Pastoral Note this week, to share some insights into the beautiful ministry she leads. I trust it will give you a glimpse into our ministry with the youngest members of our Westwood community!

grace and peace,
Pastor Molly

Contemplation sometimes sneaks in through the cracks in my schedule.

In the quiet time after the children have left the church with their families at the end of a busy Sunday morning, I like to restore the environment of the classrooms a bit. This feels like a spiritual practice as well as a practical necessity in some cases to keep things in order as I believe is best. As I do this, I let my mind wander so the spirit of what has happened can be grasped. Ruminating about the experience as a whole turns out to be contemplation for me. Sometimes it may even give me “peace that passes all understanding.” Forget analyzing for a while.

But we must have plans. And for that, I do have great help. Our team of teachers comes ready every week to implement those plans. Isabel Kilroe and I work together to create meaningful and enjoyable ways to teach important lessons. We want to see motion in our children’s program, which can be thought of in two ways: motion in increasing the numbers of children involved and also motion in moving forward in growing their faith. That’s “Faith in Motion!”

Our commitment is to help our children grow spiritually, emotionally, socially and creatively. We make sure they are safe, loved, guided to share and be kind, and to explore beauty in traditions as well as in new expressions of faith. We want them to know they are children of God and their true identity is in Christ. Through worship and service, art, music and movement, as well as Godly Play stories and time to explore important ideas, we hope they will grow in confidence to share their faith with joy. We want them to learn to show up for one another, and experience a community where compassion, courage, and friendship flourish. We want to help them develop resilience and hope, with tools to talk with God and trusted adults in hard times, along with skills to be okay with themselves in any situation.

That’s a lot of hope, but encouragement from families and friends in our church community is a precious and important part of life for our children at Westwood.

WESTWOOD KIDS:
ROOTED IN GOD’S LOVE
GROWING IN COMMUNITY
AND ALIVE WITH CREATIVE FAITH

Deanna Edwards
Director of Children and Family Ministries