Will you?

"Will you who witness these vows do all in your power to support these persons in their life in Christ?" (BCP, page 303)

We all take this vow when children are baptised, and when teenagers and adults new to our faith are confirmed. I know that I am always transported by the joy of those services, and I remember in that moment the glory of my own confirmation in the Episcopal Church, and the overwhelming happiness I felt at the baptism and confirmation of my son. And in that moment, I ask myself: do I live into that covenant I have made with Christ? Will I do all in my power to support these persons in their life in Christ?

Your Palmer Editor met recently with Robyn Perry, our faithful and able Director of Christian Education. There is an opportunity for all of us to take a new direction in our own Baptismal Covenant, as Christian Education -- Christian Formation, really -- changes this September.

The Holy Cross Chapel will become Holy Cross Children's Chapel, and Sunday School will begin there for ALL of our kids with music, and Bible stories presented in skits and other crowd pleasers. Kids will check in and get their name tags at a desk on the breezeway outside the Chapel. From there they go to small groups for discussion, activities and snacks. The beauty of this is the involvement of every age group in the activities that form our children into faithful people. Skits may be performed by our youth, or stories presented by other fellowship groups of adults.

Are you happy to just say hi to a young person, and send them on their way? There is a place for you. Are you comfortable telling a story or making a presentation to a large group? There is a place for you. Would you rather talk to kids than teach them? There is a place for you.

We don't suggest that Christian Formation is the only way to live into your Baptismal Covenant, or that all should participate in Sunday School. But maybe, just maybe, your idea of Sunday School is rooted in what you experienced long ago, and in it there were few roles. This isn't Grandma's Sunday School, and we invite you to consider participation in the formation of our children for a life in Christ. Please see, and prayerfully consider, the chart in the Palmer Weekly this Sunday. If you want a copy sent to you, your Palmer Editor is happy to oblige.