All-Age Worship: a short review

Margaret Withers

In one sense, every service should have an element of all-age worship. ‘Age’ is not just about the number of birthdays but about their faith and spiritual experience. A youngster from a Christian family may have more experience of worshipping God than adults who come to church to hear their banns read. An enquiring teenager will have different needs from someone who has worshipped at the same church for 60 years. Some people do not speak much English or find reading difficult, and so on. So, all-age worship is not about children joining a homogeneous adult congregation, but about inclusive worship in which everyone gives and receives at their own level. Creating a truly all-age service is a challenge, but it will engage with worshippers of all ages and walks of life, give them a sense of the presence of God and an experience of worshipping him as part of a community.

We worship God with our whole selves. In the Reformed tradition we are inclined to use too many words and explanations, even though we know that people learn more through seeing and doing than just through listening. Signs and symbols, visual effects, movement, music and drama are as important as the readings and preaching in setting an atmosphere or conveying a message.

Forms of Service
All-age services can take several forms. There is ‘DIY’—start with a blank piece of paper and work out what you want. This is the most difficult method. The service can become a series of events like beads on a string. It can lack focus and it is often too long. It is easier to let someone else do the basic work for you.The worship section of the Roots teaching course provides some simple service outlines. There are also the Common Worship ‘Service of the Word’ and the Eucharist or Holy Communion. Don’t be scared of having an all-age Eucharist. The service is full of signs and symbols that speak stronger than words, and the message of a community gathering around the table in response to Jesus’ command is a powerful one for all ages and stages of faith.

Some churches have decided that every service should have children and adults together. This is fine, but one has to remember to feed and challenge the regular and informed worshippers as well as including the youngest and least formed. A more common practice is to have an all-age service once a month. Nearly every church has occasional services that are geared towards families and the fringe: Christingle, Crib service, Mothering Sunday, Harvest or Pentecost. These are usually the best-attended services of the year, so it is worth taking time to prepare them carefully so that everyone can actively take part.

Planning all-age worship
When I plan a service, I think of the Bible as being like a coat hanger! Start with scripture readings and hang everything else on them. If your church uses a lectionary or you are following a programme, ask yourself, ‘what are these scripture readings saying to us… How can we present them to these people with their different levels of age and faith?’ This can be a challenge but it gives continuity for regular worshippers and covers a wide range of scripture. Be prepared to adapt an inappropriate or long reading or to leave it out. Make a collection of resources so you have something to help you on these occasions.

The other way is to start by asking, ‘What do we intend to focus on in this service… Which scripture readings will reflect the theme and help us to present it to these people with their different levels of age and faith?’ This has advantages and dangers. It is especially appropriate for a special service or when most of the people are children, for example at a school or a midweek club. It also provides flexibility to focus on a particular local situation or occasion. But beware of using just a few favourite Bible stories and themes. This can lead to superficiality and distort the story of God’s relationship with his people.

The key to all-age worship is preparation. Be clear about your aims and take time to prepare the service. Don't use all your resources at once or you will end up with a hotchpotch! Go for quality and keep it short.

Be sensual! We worship God with colour, light, movement, sign and symbols as well as words. Most importantly, see that you make good use of people's gifts and skills rather than relying on your own and see that everyone who is leading (welcomers, children’s leaders, readers, musicians) knows what is expected of them.

Elements of the service
How can a service involve everyone? Much of the answer lies in the signs, symbols, visual aids and movement and thoughtful use of music and drama.

A friend of mine used to say about preaching, ‘if you haven’t struck oil in ten minutes—stop boring!’ Keep the teaching short. See that your visual aids are large and clear. Jesus sat down to teach, and this gave him eye contact. If you have a large number of children, seat them around you, so they are at the same level. Reading a gospel story dramatically or using drama to reflect on the reading may be more effective than a formal talk.

Use a display to illustrate the theme of the service, or PowerPoint pictures to illustrate the prayers. Short bidding prayers with a response include people who do not read. Children write good prayers. They say what they want God to know, not what we think we should tell him!

Movement and posture are powerful teaching aids. Carrying a baptised baby from the font to the centre of the congregation conveys a strong message. The practice of standing for the gospel reading reminds us that Jesus is present among us in his word. Standing, kneeling and sitting convey different meanings.

A ‘good’ service is often judged by its hymns. Not all pop hymns are easy to sing and it is important to have a variety of styles. Strong melodies with short stanzas, refrains and responsorial music that use soloists as well as the congregation will include everyone while catering for most tastes. Choose hymns and songs that reinforce the theme and sing them to cover movement such as the entrance of the ministers or taking up the offertory.

Respecting children
Lastly, when leading an all-age service or any worship that includes children, talk about today’s world, not your idyllic childhood, which probably never existed. Be honest. Children cannot be conned and will spot your inadequate knowledge of the latest football score or pop group immediately. See that if you ask questions, you affirm unusual or incorrect answers by using them for more teaching. Never put children on the spot or make them the butt of jokes. Help them to be involved and to feel welcome at the service.

All-age worship takes time and work, but the church that attempts to have genuinely inclusive services will reap the rewards of a lively community today and have hope for the Church of tomorrow.

Margaret Withers

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