As Anglicans, worship is at the heart of our spirituality and relationship with God. It is also communal, either done in community or using prayers, readings, songs and forms given to us by the vast community of Christ's followers through the ages. Children and youth are full members of the Church community and so they are called to be full participants in and leaders of our communal worship.
People of all ages are called to worship God together, as a diverse, inclusive community of Christ's followers. Our worship of God is enriched when we come together with different people in community, each of whom is made in the image of God.
In the Anglican tradition, children and youth are encouraged to be formed by the patterns of Anglican worship with the help of those who are more familiar with them. Eucharist, the daily office and personal prayer are all important parts of this formation.
They are also called to share their own gifts of leadership in worship. There is a long tradition in the Anglican Church of children and youth leading our worship through choral music and serving at the altar and these remain common ways that young people serve as worship leaders in our parishes. They also offer leadership by reading Scripture, being greeters, writing and offering prayers, collecting and bringing up the offering and giving reflections on scripture.
Christ called adults to welcome children and youth, to receive them as they are, to nurture them and to look to them as examples of faith. Our worship provides adults with opportunities to answer this call.