Ely Diocese | Education and Training

Children

Updated 5 March, 2004

Using Liturgy Boxes:
Helping our Children to Worship and join in the Service
By Carolynn Pritchard

These suggestions and ideas are based on suggestions made by the Revd Betty Pedley, children's work adviser in the diocese of Wakefield in a workshop she led in the diocese of Ely in September 1999

What is in a Liturgy Box?

The Liturgy Box has a selection of objects and books related to key parts of the service.

What is Liturgy?

The Liturgy is what we do.
It is the service of worship we join together in doing week by week.
It is not just the words we say and hear but involves all our senses as we worship God.
It includes the movements, gestures, symbols, colours, smells and tastes of the service as well as the words and music that we hear

Why Liturgy Boxes?

Young children learn and participate best if they are actively engaged in what they are "doing" particularly through touching and actively exploring.
Liturgy boxes are designed to help young children worship and participate in the service in a very tactile way.

What is a Liturgy Box?

A Liturgy Box is a box (Shoebox) of objects and books that are specially put together for helping young children worship and participate in the services.
This does not stop them playing with the contents at home, but the box ought to be seen a special.
Playing with and talking about the box at home will help to join home and church life together and for children to see that they are linked.
The materials in the box can also be used for Prayers at home with your children.

How to use the Liturgy Box:

The Liturgy Box is for use during the service with your child as you worship together week by week.

Very young children will use the box randomly through the service. That is fine, they will begin to make connections.
Gradually it will be possible to introduce the various parts of the box at the correct time in the service and show you child how to use them.
The order that you introduce and talk about the things depends on you and your child.
For a young child this will be done gradually, with times in the service of "free play" use of the box.
Gradually your child will begin to recognise which part of the service goes with which of the items in the box.
You will need to tell your child which part of the service they are either in or are coming to, so they can find the right item.
An older child will begin to learn the pattern of the service with the Liturgy Box and will begin to find the relevant things at the right time for themselves.
All children will have times when they wish to use the box in a slightly different way to the way it has been designed. Let them! It is their way of exploring and learning.
The things in the box may lead children to make their own movements and gestures with the objects, especially during Communion, This is part of their participation and is OK providing it is sensitive to the needs of those around.
Encourage your child to join in the words we say. Whisper them to in the few seconds before they are said

How else can I help my child to participate in the service?

Firstly by showing them through your own worship and actions how important it is for you.
Young children learn most through observing and copying.
Encourage them as they try and join in the worship of the church.
Talk to your children about what we do in church and why we are doing it.

Practical things you can do:

Sit where your child can see what is happening
Children can be encouraged to stand sit kneel etc when you do.
Children can be given the service words and hymnbooks from an early age so they can copy what you do with them and "sing" even if they cannot read.
Gradually you can whisper easy hymns to your child before you sing the lines so that they can join in.
Children can be encouraged to join in the Peace and the Collection.
Use some of the Prayers at home with your child.
Help them to learn some of the words we say before they can read.
Sometimes young children take up the bread and wine with their parents at the Offertory.
Sometimes young children can help collect the money.

Table of Contents for a liturgy box in Word format