Christian educator: Play dress-up on Christ the King Sunday

Between Two Pulpits taps the creative impulse of an innovative certified Christian educator

by Mike Ferguson | Presbyterian News Service

Charlotte Nance-Allbright

LOUISVILLE ­— Preachers looking to hold the attention of the youngest people in worship — especially during the children’s time — do well to check with a Christian educator. Nearly all are founts of creative ideas.

That’s what Special Offerings’ Bryce Wiebe and Lauren Rogers did Monday during their weekly Between Two Pulpits interview with Charlotte Nance-Allbright, a certified Christian educator who’s the director of Christian Formation and Education at First Presbyterian Church in Burlington, North Carolina. She also wrote the children’s curriculum used by Special Offerings during 2021, including these instructions detailing how children can create a collage of a door opening to gifts of their choosing for the Christmas Joy Offering.

Asked what kind of children’s time she might offer to explain Sunday’s lectionary passages, which include Psalm 93 and John 18:33-37, both of which talk about kings on Christ the King Sunday, Nance-Allbright said she enjoys exploring “what the pastor isn’t going to highlight” during the sermon.

“I go for a different angle. I do love Reign of Christ Sunday. I would highlight how Christ is not like any other ruler,” she told Wiebe and Rogers.

First things first: Nance-Allbright typically visits Carolyn Brown’s Worshiping with Children website for initial ideas.

She said for this Sunday she might invite the children to talk about rulers, perhaps dressing one “as a gaudy king in a funny outfit, having them only concerned about themselves,” she said. Another might wear a crown or tiara, “untouchable and unreachable.” A third ruler would go as themselves, perhaps distributing bread to other children. At that point, she said, it’d be time to talk to the children about Jesus as ruler and leader.

Developing the Christmas Joy resource for children required “spending a lot of time in a brainstorm,” Nance-Allbright said. “I sat with the Scripture” and “stared at the posters and coloring sheets.” Then she started jotting down words and phrases “that jumped out to me.”

“We often write everything in adult language,” she said. “I thought about the way children learn,” she said, including the children in her congregation and her 6-year-old boy. “I wanted to make everything accessible to everyone. What are the Advent activities that can be included? What are easy resources to find anywhere around the church? I wanted to offer families opportunities to give while they’re sitting at home together.”

“Chrismon gifts and open doors popped into my mind,” she said, and the result was the step-by-step collage activity.

The centerpiece became a door collage — or, rather, a door on the outside with images on the inside that children can snip from magazines, “anything that brings them joy,” she said. “When they open the door, they see joyful images — people, food and places.”

While writing the instructions, Nance-Allbright solicited help when needed.

“Our receptionist took the instructions and said, ‘No, Charlotte, this doesn’t make any sense,’” Nance-Allbright said with a laugh. Together the clarified the instructions.

When children are very young, it’s enough for them to place a few coins or a dollar in a bank they’ve folded together, according to Nance-Allbright. “That allows children to fill God’s love bucket,” she said.

Eventually children realize that when they add their offering to that of the person sitting beside them or behind them, “it makes a huge difference.” She said she encourages older worshipers to lean over and tell the children, “Thank you so much. You have made a huge difference!”

“I also know some families can’t give. We remind them they are doing a huge part when they are praying,” she said. “The joy and the hope they feel while praying is part of being this big Presbyterian family.”

Between Two Pulpits is hosted every Monday by Lauren Rogers and Bryce Wiebe of Special Offerings. (Screenshot)

Asked to identify her hope for the future of the Church, Nance-Allbright said she hopes that children “will feel a part of the body, knowing they are welcomed, loved and wanted, and that everyone in the congregation will live into the Matthew 25 vision — that they will love their neighbors, open their doors and walk outside their doors to see who their neighbors are.” In addition, she prays “that people will desire to be a community and be motivated to serve together and be together in whatever way they can.”

Between Two Pulpits can be viewed at 1 p.m. Eastern Time on Mondays here.