Seekers & Keepers is our new worship faith formation pathway, to help re-introduce and formalize some of the milestones that East Shore offers for children and youth of various ages participating as worship associates in the Sunday morning services.
Seekers help us by asking questions to encourage curiosity, insight, and learning about our topics. Think: Why is this night different than all other nights? By inviting active participation in our worship services at key moments, we’re able to bring our faith alive, and keep us learning all life long. Keepers help by carrying out some of the liturgical pieces of the service. Think: Welcoming us into worship; lighting our chalice; Sharing our covenant or a reading; Reading a favorite story; and Introducing or singing a hymn, even guiding us in meditation. What do you enjoy about what we do together? See how each stage carries some things from the last, and adds new growth, too!
Ages and Stages of The Seekers & Keepers Worship Associate Program
Ages 0-4: Seed, with your parent or caregiver, can you start following along with any of the words we are saying or singing? What about some of the pictures that we have in the order of service? by sharing some of the questions you have about the activity or topic ahead of time, and we can talk about them more in worship!
Ages 5-9: Sprout, with your parent or caregiver doing the heavy lifting, and you sharing in a word, phrase, or portion of the activity; help by sharing some of the questions you have about the activity or topic ahead of time, and we can talk about them more in worship! Are you able to pick out the moral of the story?
Ages 9-12: Sapling, with you doing the heavy lifting, and your parent or caregiver helping guide you with the words, phrases, or activities; help by sharing some of the questions you have about the activity or topic ahead of time, and we can talk about them more in worship! Are you able to pick out the moral of the story? What do you like about sharing our joys and sorrows?
Middle School Youth Group: Small Tree, worship associate for a week, sharing one of the following: welcoming, chalice lighting, covenant, reading, story, or hymn introduction; What about meditation and joys and sorrows? Do you practice either of those at home?
High School Youth Group: Tree, worship associate for a week, sharing welcoming, chalice lighting, covenant, reading, story, or hymn to the full extent possible. What about meditation and joys and sorrows? Do you practice either of those at home? Are you interested in behind-the-scenes workings of a worship service? Did you know we have to research songs, stories, videos, music, and every part that goes into our services?
To make these programs accessible during the pandemic, we are offering an online video bank, where you can record something at home and deposit it for exclusive use during services only (not to be published online); online Zoom recording during or outside of RE class times; to share the space with the child or youth so teachers and participant would do the piece together. We’re also offering Wednesday evening at 6:15pm programming for prep time, or logging on early to RE Sunday morning at 9:00 am.
by Amanda Uluhan, Director of Religious Education