Pastor Nikki's Notions

Dear Friends, 

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.”- Matthew 19:14 

Rally Day is September 9. This special day in the church year is intended to bring us back together as a church body, after a summer’s worth of adventures away from one another. It marks the return to programs that took a summer hiatus, such as vocal choir, handbell choir and Little Dresses for Africa. It also marks the beginning of a brand-new year of Sunday School! And the Christian Education Ministry Team is excited to offer some incredible new programming to bring our children more fully into our community. Our new children’s programming is designed to be more robust and to welcome our children as full-fledged members of our community. Among the changes we are implementing is that we will offer more opportunities for intergenerational worship services throughout the Sunday School year. In fact, kids will stay with us in worship on every communion Sunday and on a couple of other key dates on the church calendar.  

I realize that some folks might feel a bit nervous about this. So, I’d like to explain a little bit about the concept of and the reasoning behind intergenerational worship. I’ll begin with what intergenerational worship is NOT. It is not: 1. Glorified Sunday School (with adults invited), 2. Church for kids (No, kids in church does not mean that we will have church for kids), 3. Family Worship (While intergenerational worship does afford families an opportunity to participate in something meaningful together, it is NOT designed around the family unit). So if it’s not any of these, then what IS intergenerational worship? Simply put: Intergenerational worship is worship in which people of every age are understood to be equally important. It’s where, just like we have large-print bulletins and hearing amplification devices to assist aging folks in worship, we might also have an activity table somewhere in the sanctuary to help our youngest members in their worship. It is a time for the WHOLE Body of Christ to be together, each bringing their distinct needs and their unique gifts to our worship of God.  

There are a multitude of reasons to participate in intergenerational worship. For instance, a study from the Fuller Youth Institute in 2010 showed that “churches that encouraged intergenerational connections and had youth that felt involved and connected to the larger church, were places where the youth also had a much greater chance of remaining in the church post high school.” And a 2016 study from the same institute found that churches that retain their young people, and even grow in the millennial sector of their population, are ones that cultivate “warm intergenerational relationships.” The same study notes that “Involving young people in every ministry of the church has allowed these congregations to thrive with authenticity and intergenerational relationships.” Simply put, our children need to feel included in our congregation at large from an early age if their faith is to be something that sustains them all throughout their lives. There are many benefits to children participating in corporate worship, which cannot be quantified by research studies. We must remember that Jesus tells us to be like children, which would imply that they have something important to teach us adults in worship. 

Now, I want to put parents’ and grandparents’ minds at ease. Every week, there will be programming for your young ones. Sometimes, that programming will be a part of our worship service. On other weeks, it will be outside of the sanctuary, but there will always be something offered. And I encourage parents and grandparents to watch your mail, as you all will be receiving calendars with Sunday School offerings through December. I look forward to this exciting new endeavor with all of you! 

Yours in Christ,  

Pastor Nikki 

WELCOME

WELCOME OUR NEW MUSIC DIRECTOR 

The session is pleased to announce that we have offered the position of music director to Robin Wohlfeil. Robin is sure to bring her own style and flare to this position, so let’s all make her feel welcome! Her first day as music director will be September 2.  

WELCOME OUR NEW OFFICE ASSISTANT 

The session is pleased to announce the hiring of Cassie Jackson to keep our office running smoothly. Since Cassie is not a member of Delafield Presbyterian Church, everyone is encouraged to reach out to her and get to know her. Also, when planning your event at church, do not assume that she will automatically know about it! Send her all of the information for every event you plan at the email address for the church office.  

WELCOME OUR NEW CLERK OF SESSION 

Delafield Presbyterian Church also now has a new clerk of session. Please take a moment to thank Nina Wulff for stepping into this important role. 

On Wednesday, September 5 from 3-7 P.M., Delafield Presbyterian Church will host a blood drive for the Blood Center of Wisconsin. There is a sign-up sheet on the main bulletin board, if you’d like to donate blood. 

VOCAL AND HANDBELL CHOIRS RESUME 
In September, both our vocal choir and our handbell choir will resume, under the leadership of Robin Wohlfeil. The first meeting of the vocal choir will be on Thursday, September 6 at 7 P.M. At that time, the group will choose a time to meet regularly for rehearsals. 
Robin will reach out to the handbell choir to set a time for their first meeting.

TEEN DISCUSSION GROUP CALENDAR FOR THE FIRST SEMESTER 

   With the beginning of Sunday School comes the beginning of a new year of our teen discussion group, coordinated by Adrienne O’Neil. September’s discussion group will be held on September 16 and will be led by Gay Ruby and Kate Walkowski. The topic is “Social Media: Lifeline or Leash.” It will help teens to understand healthy and safe ways to navigate their online interactions.