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By the Rev. Margaret Ann Williams
Associate Executive Director/Church Relations
Marcy-Newberry Association, Chicago
Mark 9:36-37, 10:13-16
Makes it very clear who is the greatest and paints a clear picture of “our” little children and Jesus. We are clearly called to welcome and care for and about all children as our children for all are to be welcomed — for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
I want to talk to you on the subject, “Where Are Your Signs of Welcome?”
Let us pray.
God: May these words move your spirit to work in us. May it lead people to get angry at current conditions and to work for change, not just frown and complain. May it spur people to get involved in the world, not to shun it. May it inspire emotional expression, ready for some serious commitment to challenges. Amen!
The United Methodist Church Social Principles says: “Once considered to be the property of their parents, children are now acknowledged to be full human beings in their own right, but beings to whom adults and society in general have special obligations ... All children have the right to quality education. More over, children have the rights to food, shelter, clothing, health care and emotional well-being as do adults, and these rights we affirm as theirs, regardless of actions or inactions of their parents or guardians. In particular, children must be protected from economic, physical and sexual exploitation and abuse.”
There are many serious issues we must address, including but not limited to:
Babies born into poverty.
Children/youth under age 20 dying from firearms.
Children in detention, correctional or shelter facilities.
Children arrested for violent crimes and drug abuse (Share Sun-Times 6/9).
Children naked from the lack of love, care and a sense of belonging.
Children thirsting for education and knowledge, wanting to reach their God-given potential.
Children committing suicide in our nation.
Children who are homicide victims, killed by guns.
Children who are dying from malnutrition.
Illegal drug use is rising among our youth (Sun-Times 6/10).
Youth are planning their own funerals — how they want to look, how to be dressed and where to have their wakes. Many do not believe they will be around very long. They do not think they will live to grow up.
And then — Children are having children.
“Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me”? Friends, where are your signs of welcome?
Age of Lostness
In this Age of Lostness:
- Kids are familiar with the threat of violence.
- Violence romps through our children’s playgrounds.
- Invades their bedroom slumber parties.
- Frolics down the streets they walk to and from school.
- Dances through their school buses.
- Lurks at McDonald’s.
- Runs them down on the corner, shoots through their windows.
- Attacks their front porches and neighborhoods.
Think of the extreme violence in Chicago this year in the Englewood neighborhood. A wave of destruction and cruelty, 10-year-old girl dies as gunfire sprayed through her birthday party/celebration. One week before sunrise. A 14-year-old girl shot in her living room.
Why can’t we keep our children safe?
We are living in an age of lostness. We live in an age in which, for the price of a burger and drink at McDonald’s across the street, our kids can purchase enough drugs to blow their minds. We’re living in a day where a 16-year-old girl needs a signed parental consent form to attend a high school field trip, but can have an abortion without the parents even knowing about it.
We’re living in a time in which if we, as the church, do not come through in our giving, working and ministry there may be no next chance. We in the church must somehow turn our world upside down. Something new bold and dramatic must be done to stop brutally sniffing out young lives. Signs of welcome? Did you know that an estimated 588,000 children right here in the state of Illinois live in families with income below the poverty line.
Where, oh where, are the signs of welcome?
Today, the tragic reality is that too many of our nation’s children are not being “welcomed,” but instead are being left behind. Too many don’t have the education, health care, homes, strong communities and family support they need to develop to their God-given potential.
Jesus said: “Let the little children come to me, do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.”
We can’t wait, we have to go out and get the children. Go and meet the families. Bring the children into our church families.
The church must seek to make it un-Christian and un-American for any child in our rich land to grow up without decent food, shelter, health care, child care, or education or threatened by abuse, neglect, drugs or violence. The church must go out and speak for children. We must go out and speak for children. We must unite our voices and actions as we advocate for children. The church must struggle with what it means to be the church. What is the role of the church? What does it really mean to be the church in times like these?
Church must intervene
The church must be prophetic and visionary and do what God has called us to do. The church must intervene, put our gifts and graces and resources together to find some answers. “I am the church, you are the church, we are the church together.”
Every Sunday, as we wake up, 100,000 American children wake up homeless. Every 32 seconds, about the time it takes us to say the Lord’s Prayer, an American baby is born into poverty. Every 14 minutes, while we listen to a sermon or homily, a baby dies in America.
Every 64 seconds, while we “Pass the Peace,” a baby is born to a teenage mother. And every 13 hours, before we can go back to sleep that night, an American pre-schooler is murdered.
These are difficult times for God’s precious children. Children are one of the most important gifts that God can offer to us and that we can offer God. They are our hope for tomorrow: our hope for the healing of an injured world, where none of our children are saddled with the burden of poverty.
In Mark 10...Jesus with indignation addressed himself to children....speaking and seeking physical contact with them beyond the expectation of his disciples. The children received the greatest possible gift. The Kingdom of God was symbolized by taking the children into his arms. No special conditions were made, no rules, no guidelines, no half-price admission fee, no I.D. or social security number. The children did not have to meet special requirements to merit reception into the kingdom. Jesus not only showed his compassion for children, but he also emphasized to his disciples the importance of sharing with the children and youth the good news of the Kingdom of God.
'Putting Children First
Many congregations voted years ago to make their priority “Putting Children First.” What does this mean? You raised your hands and voted with a resounding “Yes!” But Why? Did you do it because the pastor moved and the lay leader seconded? Or because the children were watching you? Or because your pew mates hands went up? What have you done individually or as a committee to implement this priority over the years since you took this action?
We must welcome God’s precious children by faithfully giving them the right start, a healthy start, a head start, a fair start, a safe start and a moral start. Children need healthy bodies and minds and an early childhood foundation, protection from poverty, safety, security and successful navigation on the path to adulthood.
Jesus was indignant when his disciples spoke sternly to the people bringing the little children to him in order that he might touch them. Jesus said, “Truly, I tell you, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.”
The churches must strengthen and expand ministries and advocacy efforts on behalf of children and families. You must individually ask yourselves the questions:
What can I do, where am I needed or give ideas/suggestions to show, by action, your signs of welcome.
Now you are probably saying: We have a children and youth ministry with some programs and activities at our church. Doesn’t she know, hasn’t she read in the United Methodist Reporter what we did last year? Well, we must do more and more and more. We must work and work and work until we can’t do anything more. I’ve got news for you this morning: There is absolutely no danger of a local church doing too much, only of doing too little! As a church, you must understand that these problems I have described happen to individuals and families inside our own congregation as well as in the wider community. We must coordinate our ministries to serve the larger community; we must join hands with human service providers and ecumenical colleagues and address public policy that affects these concerns.
The church must create an awareness of the needs of children and their families and develop appropriate ministry responses. The church must deal openly with the needs of our members and our community. Outreach is a key component.
Network with child-serving agencies
The church must network with the four Northern Illinois Conference child-serving agencies/institutions: ChildServ, Methodist Youth Services, Rosecrance , Marcy-Newberry.
Perhaps your church has a church school or Sunday school. But, have you met your growth goals with the large numbers of children out there who need to know that Jesus Christ welcomes them as an integral part of a community of grace and service: children who need to know that they are made in the image of God and loved supremely by God, who is present with them and who intends abundant life for them.
How can we “reach out and touch” those who need us so badly and are crying out, “Welcome me, see me, care for me, hear me, hug me, love me”
Does your church have in its library copies of Putting Children and Their Families First resource book written by Laura Dean Friedrich, published by the General Board of Global Ministries? Are you using them? What about other books, video tapes, brochures and resource materials related to children in your library? Are you using them? Or are they dusty? We can do anything we want to do as a church. We only have to want to do it. We, as a church, are called to “make a difference,” and we can make a difference. We are being called and challenged to recognize the problems and respond to the most vulnerable of our population: our children!
How bright is your welcome sign shining this morning? Is it shining for those who are lost without direction, without hope, with a sense of confusion due to their circumstances or surroundings? Can they see your light?
Obligation to reach out
We have an obligation to reach out and shine a light on our welcome sign as we help each other and put our resources together working toward solutions to these many issues facing our children.
We can’t just complain about what happened this year in Chicago’s Englewood Community where we have four United Methodist churches. We’ve got to roll up our sleeves and work together. We have to be more concerned, start thinking and believing that all children everywhere must be safe, must live and make their ways in society.
I say to you the church must reach out to “the least, the last and the lost.” The church must be in action, for there are too many children who belong to the “5-H Club” for the Hungry! Homeless! Helpless! Hopeless! Hugless!
Think about the number of persons registered at this 2006 Northern Illinois Annual Conference session, approximately 1200+ if we all show our signs of welcome to God’s precious little ones. Think of levers at the polls you can pull, the legislative action you can impact, the hungry mouths you can feed, the families you can shelter, the needy you can clothe, the fears you can soothe, the telephone calls you make, and the letters you can write to state representatives and senators about the state’s agenda for responding to the needs of our children.
Let us put these powerful hands together and pray to God to use us to change a society and a world that is hurting many of our precious children. As we go from this breakfast today, let us re-commit to unite our voices and our actions for children whoever they are, wherever they live, whatever their ethnicity, give your strong voice and action, your determination, your deeper commitment, your dedicated service? Let us commit today to show our signs of welcome working for change, responding to these challenges.
How can our lights shine more brightly as we show our signs of welcome by advocating for children?
Well, as we sensitize individuals and groups to the unmet needs of children and to the society’s obligation to provide a positive response.
5 steps to take
Let me have you leave this breakfast this morning with specific actions you and your church can take: (5 Steps)
- Listening, responding and raising consciousness to those serious issues hurting our children as you experience them or become aware of them. Make recommendations to the appropriate group or organization or person in the church or community or city or state for implementation and then follow through.
- Study the needs of all children and assist in planning for the development or improvement of services. Study existing programs for children as to the protection, growth and development. Assist in the coordination of services and programs as they relate to the well-being of children.
- Make recommendations on needed legislative action on behalf of children. Promote adequate educational services and training programs for youths, promote social services and vocational guidance. Promote support for children needing special medical services and assistance for youth who drop out of school.
- As you face issues relating to advocacy in the communities, conduct needs assessments, and review the overall levels of services, get involved through comprehensive planning with community boards, councils, organizations and interest groups.
- Rise and shine your lights brightly through your church at all levels: local church, district, conference, jurisdiction and the general church, nationally, worldly, globally. There are so many, many ways that you can share the gifts and resources that God has blessed you with as you advocate for children and put them first, up front, on top of your church’s agenda.
Don’t just talk about your love for children — show your signs of welcome by being involved, by saying “Here Am I Lord, Send Me” out from my comfortable pew seat, send me from inside the beautiful surrounding of my church out into the wider reaches of the world. Step out with enthusiastic excitement and commitment as you unite your voices and your action for OUR beautiful children, nearby and far away.
Friends, in closing let us go forth praying for all children in our nation and our world who suffer from poverty, justice and fear; caring for children who are victims of drugs or alcohol abuse, gangs, neglect, assault, and murder; loving children, whoever they may be, wherever they may live, who need our love, our prayers and our support; standing up for children, next door, down the street, across town, throughout the community who need our resources and our ministry in their lives. Child Advocates, we must go out and multiply Child Advocates as we show our signs of welcome. Amen!
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