The Advocate May-June 2006
Toward Columbus: All of God’s ‘children’ will participate in General Convention
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Posted: Jun 3, 2006, 19:04

(ENS) When Episcopalians come together in Columbus, Ohio, for General Convention in June, even the children will have a part to play.

“Very often children are voiceless and it’s really important for them to be present so that they are not just paraded out in front of people but can actually have the experience of being a part of the whole body of Christ at General Convention,” said Kesha Brennom, national staff officer for Children’s Ministries and Christian Education at the Episcopal Church Center.

Building on the success of collaborating with the Diocese of Minnesota for the 2003 convention, the dioceses of Southern Ohio and Ohio, with support from Brennom’s office, have planned a developmentally appropriate program for 4- to 12-year-olds focusing on C.S. Lewis’ “Chronicles of Narnia.”

“We learned, from our collaboration with the Diocese of Minnesota, that the healthful presence of children in the life of the convention reminded all of us that the church’s decision making affects children both today and tomorrow,” said Thom Chu, program director for Ministries with Young People at the Episcopal Church Center.

The June 11-21 program, designed to coincide with legislative sessions, will operate 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., at Trinity Episcopal Church on Capitol Square. It’s open to all children, including those of bishops, deputies, volunteers, visitors and exhibitors, and will feature table conversation on the appointed scriptures during the daily Eucharist. There will also be outings to various Columbus-area children’s institutions, such as the Columbus Zoo, Franklin Park Conservatory, Columbus Art Museum, and the Center of Science and Industry (COSI), and visits to the convention center’s Discovery Center.

In addition, a group of 12-year-olds will produce a daily one-page newsletter called the “Narnia Chronicles.” The newsletter will “recap the events of their day and foreshadow what they will do the following day,” according to Rachel Friend, chair of the children’s program at General Convention.

“We’re hoping that the 10-, 11- and 12-year-olds will be writing it,” she said.

There will also be traditional childcare offered during the early morning committee hearings from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., and although it is not the focus of the children’s program, the Diocese of Southern Ohio has identified resources for infant and toddler care.

There are at least three resolutions coming before convention which may impact children. The Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music (SCLM) is proposing (in Resolution A067) new rites and prayers for life transitions and stages in human development, including during the time of childhood and young adulthood. The commission is also proposing (Resolution A070) to develop liturgical materials for inclusion in the “Enriching our Worship” series for the pastoral issues surrounding the adoption of children.