Abstract
There are many and varied ways in which parents and a
faith community can help nurture young people for future
life in the church and in their faith. I think there is one extraordinarily simple way, however, in which we can help children change their experience of church and: liturgy thet
does make a difference for (hem. it may not make an
immediate childhood difference, but it may make a difference
that profoundly affects the way youth and young adultls
perceive and relate to their faith and church at a time when
so many leave the church to seek other avenues to fulfill
their spiritual longings and when peer pressure is 50 great.
My proposal is that the church can give children a good
experience of liturgy at an early age and ocontinve to
reinforce that experience throughout their high school
years. We need not only to teach children about liturgy in
the classroom but we need to let them fully experience it in
every way possible that means something in their lives.
Children need to make a connection that, when we celebrate a
weekend liturgy, we continue that celebration in our lives
during the week in how we live in the world and relate (0
those around us. Our continuing celebration of our lives
and the lives of others is our gift back to God.
