Press Releases12 May 05

Star Wars provides model for new Children's Ministry approach

"Yoda" from Star Wars was cited in a new Church of Ireland report on Children's Ministry released today. According to the report "the Church's role is not to 'fill buckets' but to 'light fires' in a model of ministry that owes more to Yoda in Star Wars than to instructional models familiar from the caricatures of traditional public school masters."

The report urges that the traditional 'Sunday School’ approach undergo a transition from a 'facts based' instruction to something more akin to 'apprenticeship' in line with cultural shifts in society.

It continues "Children’s Ministry is not just about imparting knowledge; it is more about stimulating a love for God and developing children’s innate sense of spirituality."

Among the reports "action points" are to reconsider use of educational or instructional terms such as ‘teacher’ or ‘superintendent’, the encouraging of links with other denominations Children's Ministry projects, provision of training and the appointment of a full or part time ministry officer in every diocese.

The report is the result of surveys undertaken by the Church of Ireland Board of Education in Northern Ireland in 35 parishes in the province.

The Revd Ian Ellis, Secretary of the Board of Education (NI) said "the report is significant in that it is possibly the first time that Children's opinions were sought about their experiences of children's ministry in parishes. We also sought the opinions of clergy, leaders and parents in a wide range of parish settings."