At Grace, as Jesus did, we welcome children of all ages as integral members of the body of Christ, and we welcome the sounds and activity that accompany them! There are a number of spaces and activities designed for children to experience and participate in worship according to their needs; we trust families to work out the best option(s) for them and their child(ren) on any given day. One of these options is the Pray-ground, located in the front-left section of the sanctuary. This area is designed for young children to quietly engage in age-appropriate activities while experiencing worship in the sanctuary along with their families.
Ever since we posted a Facebook album celebrating the 1-year anniversary of the dedication of our Pray-Ground at Grace, we have been inundated with questions about how it came to be, from both clergy and lay people hoping to do something similar in their faith communities. Hopefully this page will help to answer some of them! If not, please feel free to contact me. You’re also most welcome to stop by anytime (though good to make an appointment first if you want to talk with someone in particular), or to visit us for worship!
Blessings to you on this adventure!
FAQ’s
Simply click on each box to open or close a question and answer
What is the Prayground?
Isn't it noisy?
Who is the Pray-Ground intended for? And what other options do parents have for their kids during worship, especially if they don't want to sit in the front?
Why on earth did you put it in the front?
How did you get the congregation on board with this ridiculous idea? Did you do any education about it before-hand?
Aren't the kids distracting to the preacher?
But how can you expect the congregation to pay attention to the sermon when there are kids playing up front?
Where did you get the tables and chairs? The rugs? The toys and baby seats?
How do you keep it all clean?
Why bother with the rugs when your sanctuary is carpeted already?
How do you keep the kids from wandering up to the chancel area?
I love the language you used on the Children at Grace pew cards. Can I use it or adapt it for my own faith community?
Can I use the photos from your Facebook post to show to the leadership of my congregation?
How much did it cost? Where did you get the financial support?
Do you keep the Pray-Ground up for all your services? Or do you offer a service without it?
Surely you lost some members over this decision, right?
How did you come up with the name?