Farewell Colette
After almost 7 years in the Children and Families Enabler Role, Colette Stevens is leaving the Anglican Centre to complete her Diploma in Christian Studies and delve into research on children and worship. Colette wants to explore the questions, “What did Jesus actually mean when he said ‘We should enter the kingdom like a child’? And what do our kids have to teach us about God?” We spoke with Colette about her time working in the diocese.
What has been your main focus?
As the Children and Families Enabler, I have seen my role as advocating for our kids, giving them a voice, and supporting what is already happening within our parish ministries. We are not just sending our kids out to be busy while the adults hear the sermon, we are discipling our children to be ministers in their communities so I have focused on how we can be family on mission and what that looks like.
I have a real heart for the leader who is working in the parish with our 0-10 year-olds and their parents and grandparents. It’s a huge banner that comes under it. I’ve been working with 43 parishes that have children’s ministries. Each mission is different. Two thirds of the children's ministry going on is mid-week community and missional focused, with the rest being Sunday morning. I’m quite passionate about equipping kids to be part of the ministry that happens mid-week in their communities. And working with leaders who want to see that happen too.
As a trained teacher, I’ve also brought in workshops and a training model, including Developing Safety Training for diocese.
What are some of your highlights?
Ministry Leaders Camp is a huge highlight. We are enabling the leaders to be present in the training, and we get to provide ministry for their children. We want kids of all ages to go away thinking “I'm glad my parents are part of the diocese and I’m glad I’m part of it too.” I love it when the littlest of our people go home feeling like they have had an amazing time and connected with Jesus. I also love that we bring teenagers in to help lead and they get inspired to help out in their parish. I started doing children's ministry myself at age 14.
Developing the concept of interactive listening and having a prayground (not a typo) space in the service to use our hands to connect with our faith. We don’t need to send our kids out during the sermon. We give them space to participate while the sermon is on and they interpret what the sermon means to them. It’s also great for adults who are kinaesthetic.
Where have you seen God move the most?
In intergenerational worship, seeing kids seeing themselves as leaders in the church and teaching adults. Watching 70- to 80-year-olds walking alongside 4- and 5-year-olds, acting as pseudo-grandparents. Godly play teaches kids to be storytellers and that they can have meaningful relationship with God.
The other day I was preparing a service and felt there was something missing. I looked on Pintrest for some inspiration and saw a wooden cross covered in sticking plasters with things written on them. So, I used that in the service and talked about pain and wounds. We wrote or drew on the plasters and stuck them to the cross. One child had a really powerful moment when he forgave a bully at school – it was a physical outworking of what was going on in his spirit.
What will you miss about the Anglican Centre?
I won't miss the commute form Otāki! It’s been wonderful being with a group of people who love Jesus, who I have had the privilege of being employed by, and how we have worshipped and journeyed together. They are people that really have your back.
Any parting thoughts?
Kids are very present in the moment, and they are ok with not knowing it all. They have a strong awareness of God that we can lose as we get older. Most kids don’t hold grudges. Like in Godly Play, every time you lift the lid on the box you find something new. We'll never learn enough to know everything. If God was small enough to be understood, he wouldn’t be big enough for our needs. Wonder, pray with faith, trust and be present in the moment. See our children as full members of the community of faith where everyone sharing learning teach together.
Like Chris Casey said, our programmes are simply ways to build relationships with people, everything we do is simply a tool, in the end it’s all about people and relationships.
I once heard a great quote: “If the children are a distraction to my sermon, then I need to work on my sermon.”
