"I miss being with God."

I read the following in a book called, Listening to children on the Spiritual Journey.

I was deeply challenged by it for a number of reasons... take a read first....

Loraine (age eight) liked her new church. Happily she made her way to the children's activities on Sunday mornings, ready to enjoy the music, laughter a creatively presented short lesson, and the energetic young children's pastor. Although Lorraine had fun at her new church, as she snuggled into bed one evening she said, "Mommy, I miss being with God." And her mother took time to listen and fin out what was behind those words.

Loraine talked about children's worship at the church they had attended previously. There the children were welcomed into a special place to "be with God, to talk to God, to listen to God, and to hear the stories of God." In that calm and quite place they watched the stories enacted with simple figures, they wondered about the story, and then chose who they would respond. Loraine remembered a Sunday when she had chosen to go to the Bible table, and Miss Cathy had read the story to her again. Here is a child who had experienced being in God's presence and hungered to be with God again.

Is Loraine's desire unusual or do many children know what it is to sense God's closeness and treasure those times. Listening to children has led us to believe that they can experience God at an early age and that they love to be in God's presence. ..."

Here are my questions....

Would children in your church say they meet God in your children's ministry?
What could you do to foster and nurture that more?
What might you be doing that is actually getting in the way?

I find these questions really challenging as I reflect on the children's ministry of our church, and our worship services.

What are your thoughts?