Incorporating Children in Worship

Incorporating children in worship is a powerful and overlooked mark of God's kingdom. This book argues that children's full participation in worship signifies not only a vibrant, faithful communion but also offers a critical window into the Spirit's work of linking the church to Christ. Children have a vocation in worship. They embody the theological virtues in distinct ways that enrich the worship of the whole church. Moreover, incorporating children reflects the difference in unity that is God's triune life. Receiving children in their difference moves the worshipping body toward the telos of worship--glorification of God and sanctification of humanity--and habituates the worshipping body to incorporate other, often more threatening, kinds of difference.

"Michelle Clifton-Soderstrom and David Bjorlin have given us a book as full of challenge as it is shorn of sentimentality. They take us on a journey--from activity for children, to discovery with children, to pedagogy from children--that mimics the way Jesus calls us to enter the kingdom."
--Sam Wells, Vicar, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, London

"In this book, Michelle Clifton-Soderstrom and David Bjorlin have given the church a tremendous gift that expands the theological conversations concerning Christian identity. This is a text that challenges us to consider children's identities not only in terms of 'what will be.' Children are fundamental to our present communal Christian identity as they are!"
--Brian Bantum, Assistant Professor of Theology, Seattle Pacific University, Washington

"Utilizing insights from Scripture, from Christian writers past and present, and from their own church experiences, the authors reflect theologically and practically on the spiritual and moral formation that takes place in worship, for both young and old. A must-read for worship planners and for any person concerned about the welcome and nurture of children in the church."
--Karen B. Westerfield Tucker, Professor of Worship, Boston University, School of Theology, Massachusetts

"Jesus is blunt in Matthew 18:3. Grown-up people, including fancy, scholarly grown-up people like me, are children of God. So, any book about children and worship is also about adults. Michelle and David follow Jesus's instruction, using childhood as the focal point to perceive the particulars of holiness. Their style is winsome enough to charm busy pastors and Sunday school teachers. But this book is also for scholars, at least for scholars who hope to sit next to Jesus and see the world truthfully."
--Amy Laura Hall, Associate Professor, Duke University, North Carolina


Michelle Clifton-Soderstrom is Associate Professor of Theology and Ethics at North Park Theological Seminary. She is ordained to word and sacrament in the Evangelical Covenant Church, and author of Angels, Worms, and Bogeys: The Christian Ethic of Pietism.

David Bjorlin is a doctoral student in liturgical studies at Boston University School of Theology...