It can sometimes be a challenge to meet the needs of everyone in every generation. Everybody has different needs to feel safe and also to feel like they are in sacred space, some of which include: hearing issues, mobility issues, security issues, to feeling like they can settle into sacred space.
It is no secret that we’ve struggled with how to achieve this balance the last couple of years after we came back from Covid. I’ve gotten several questions over the time and I’d like to answer them all here, in the spirit of transparency and constantly trying new things to find the most inclusive solution.
- I have had a lot of comments from people who love our inclusive and intergenerational services. Many say that Sundays are the only time in their week that they have people from all ages together and others have told me how much they have learned by developing relationships with people of a different age. Some have told me how much they appreciate the fidget toys in the back, while others tell me about the joy they feel when they see people dancing in the back of the sanctuary.
- I had several questions as to why the children are in the sanctuary during service now when they used to leave after Together Time before Covid, and the answer is two-fold. First of all, we only have one service now. In the “beforetimes,” our Children’s Ministry volunteers could attend one service and go to their classes during the other; not surprisingly, people didn’t want to volunteer if that meant they would miss service. The second reason is that how we think of children’s spiritual needs have evolved significantly from the times when I grew up, when the adults were in the sanctuary and the kids were sent down to the basement. We recognize that our kids are full spiritual beings and they get a lot from learning how to worship, feeling the rituals of worship and being in that intergenerational space, as we all do.
- I spoke to someone about their concern about having anyone besides the worship team up on the chancel area. We have agreed that the space from the ramps and stairs should be sacred space during the service and are reinforcing that for those who are learning about that space. It is a lesson sometimes can take a little longer to learn, especially since it is a space that they do run around in at Kids Kamp, after service and on weekdays.
- I spoke to one person about them not being able to hear in the sanctuary. After the conversation, we discovered that the bigger issue was that they couldn’t hear the words well and they didn’t know that there were hearing assistance devices.
- Talked to someone about hearing talking from the back of the room, where we had couches and tables set up. This was our experiment last year, trying to have everyone in one place and giving them activities to do. This summer, we actually did an analysis of the space and found out that noise echoes more from that space. We are changing where everyone is now as a result. Now, we have comfortable seating around the sanctuary, where there is a special area with smaller chairs and a staff person helping to educate the kids on what is happening in the service and helping them understand the worship experience and expectations. Also, there is a craft table to one side of the wall for anyone who wants a quiet way to keep busy. We’ve tested these spaces to hopefully not be as loud and by spreading them out and using them as teaching spaces, we hope that will improve the sounds.
- Another person was concerned that the noises and running weren’t respectful in the sanctuary. Our expectation is for everyone to be respectful and to keep noise to a reasonable level in the sanctuary. If anyone–of any age–is struggling with that, we will be inviting them to go to a space where they can get their noises out. For our youngest members, we now have a re-modeled toddler-safe room they can go to, along with childcare staff and volunteers. If anyone else wants to leave or needs a different kind of space, the service will be streaming in the Johnson Room and there are speakers in the Meditation Garden for when the weather is cooler.
- I talked to a family about how they were reprimanded by someone they didn’t know about how their children were behaving. This sent a clear message that they were not welcome here. It is important for all of us to prioritize how to be respectful, welcoming and kind to everyone. We are all striving to get our needs met without depriving anyone else of ways of getting their needs met.
All of these solutions are continued experiments, and this current iteration requires a higher level of supervision and structure from our staff but we feel like it is a good experiment about how we model inclusivity for everyone. I really hope you will continue to give me feedback on how it is working, not only when it is not working but also when it IS working.
Next week, I am SUPER excited to share with you the exciting Children’s Ministry classes that started this week during Exploration Hour. I know you are excited to hear more about what is happening in the Children’s Ministry. This year we have a robust volunteer team and a chock-full group of engaged youth and family who are excited about their programs.