Sunday Worship Is For Kids Too!

By Jan Howard

As many as 100 children surround the Rev Terry Pfeiffer on Sunday mornings as he delivers the children’s sermon, a part of the regular Sunday morning worship of the Newtown United Methodist Church.

According to Sunday School Superintendent Heidi Kruger, Rev Pfeiffer never knows what his sermon will be about until he sees what object is in a Mystery Bag presented by the children. Each week one child in the Sunday School is responsible for putting something special in the bag for the next week’s sermon.

Rev Pfeiffer’s sermon always centers about the object, whether it is a beanie baby, shells, an action figure, a Bible, or a book.

While the children sit or stand around Rev Pfeiffer listening to the sermon, the adults also listen, and parents watch their children and their reactions, Mrs Kruger said. “We are often amazed by what he comes up with,” she said.

The children present their offerings in special envelopes at the time of the sermon, she said.

Children participate in the regular service as acolytes and as choir members, Mrs Kruger said. At Christmas, they present a special program.

Once a year, the teens are responsible for the Sunday worship. “They do the sermon and everything,” Mrs Kruger said. The teens recently presented a special worship moment.

The children, as well as adults in the congregation, are currently raising money for a Heifer project. The $5,000 to be raised will be used to send animals to undeveloped countries. The children have ark banks in which to save their coins, which are earned through doing special chores at home. One Sunday School class is selling health snacks with the proceeds going toward the Heifer project.

 Mrs Kruger said she is very excited about the growth in the Sunday School. In five years, the number of children participating has grown from 30 to 100.

Nineteen teachers are involved in the classes, from pre-school to teens, that take place each Sunday from 10:30 to 11:30 am.