Worshiping with Children | Advent | Year C

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Worshiping with Children

Advent (Year C)

I'd like to share with you all what we are doing at Shelter Island Presbyterian Church for this season of Advent.  Like others have done, we've decided to play around with the concept of the wandering wise men.  

Each Sunday during Advent, we are going to "hide" three figurines of Wise Men throughout the sanctuary.  We will invite the children forward and tell them that the wise men are looking for Jesus and so are we.  That's what the season of Advent is all about.  Each Sunday, they will get a hint as to where to find the wise men that Sunday.  With the wise men will be a piece of information that will be shared with the children and the congregation.  Below are the hints that can, hopefully, be adapted to your worship space; they were written by Stephen M. Fearing.  We will update as we go!

1st Sunday of Advent Hint (Choir Loft, Organ, or Choir area)
     You’ll find us where the choir sings,
     where hope is preached and goodness sings,
     where anthems ring and song is found,
     where Linda and company make beautiful sound.

     1st Sunday of Advent Lesson
     The children find a packet of seeds and bring them up front.
     Seeds are meant to grow but that takes time.
     We have to wait for things and have patience and prepare for their coming.
     Advent teaches us to wait because something is about to grow.
     The hope of God grows as we gather to worship and wait and wonder for Jesus to be born.

2nd Sunday of Advent Hint (the Baptismal Font)
     You’ll find us where the water spills,
     where people are baptized and goodness fills,
     where people are welcomed and Gospel is given,
     where we meet one another and sins are forgiven.

3rd Sunday of Advent Hint (the Communion Table)
     You’ll find us where the bread is broken,
     where the cup is poured and the good word is spoken,
     where elders stand while the pastor presides,
     where Christ welcomes us and the Spirit abides.

4th Sunday of Advent Hint (the balcony or where the handbells are rung)
     You’ll find us where the handbells are rung,
     where ringing sounds come and sweet songs are sung,
     where some people sit way above all the rest,
     where some people say that the view is the best.

Click here for liturgy for the season of advent by Stephen M. Fearing

Click here for hymns for the season of advent by Stephen M. Fearing

 

 

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Stephen Fearing

Stephen was born in 1988 in Cookeville, TN, where his parents met whilst attending Tennessee Tech. Shortly after, they moved to Dalton, Georgia where they put down roots and joined First Presbyterian Church, the faith family that taught Stephen that he was first and foremost a beloved child of God. It was this community that taught Stephen that it was OK to have questions and doubts and that nothing he could do could every possibly separate him from the love of God. In 1995, his sister, Sarah Kate, joined the family and Stephen began his journey as a life-long musician. Since then, he has found a love of music and has found this gift particularly fitting for his call to ministry. Among the instruments that he enjoys are piano, trumpet, guitar, and handbells. Stephen has always had a love of singing and congregation song. An avid member of the marching band, Stephen was the drum major of his high school's marching band. In 2006, Stephen began his tenure at Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC where he majored in Religion and minored in History. While attending PC, Stephen continued to explore his love of music by participating in the Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, Jazz Combo, Jazz Trio, as well as playing in the PC Handbell ensemble and playing mandolin and banjo PC's very own bluegrass/rock group, Hosegrass, of which Stephen was a founding member (Hosegrass even released their own CD!). In 2010, Stephen moved from Clinton to Atlanta to attend Columbia Theological Seminary to pursue God's call on his life to be a pastor in the PC(USA). During this time, Stephen worked at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Silver Creek Presbyterian Church, Central Presbyterian Church, and Westminster Presbyterian Church. For three years, Stephen served as the Choir Director of Columbia Theological Seminary's choir and also served as the Interim Music Director at Westminster Presbyterian Church. In 2014, Stephen graduated from Columbia with a Masters of Divinity and a Masters of Arts in Practical Theology with an emphasis in liturgy, music, and worship. In July of 2014, Stephen was installed an ordained as Teaching Elder at Shelter Island Presbyterian Church in Shelter Island, NY. Later that year, Stephen married the love of his life, Tricia, and they share their home on Shelter Island with their Golden Doodle, Elsie, and their calico cat, Audrey. In addition to his work with the people who are Shelter Island Presbyterian Church, Stephen currently serves as a commission from Long Island Presbytery to the Synod of the Northeast and, beginning in January of 2016, will moderate the Synod's missions team.