NEW YORK — The wooden pews at Emmanuel Anglican Church in Manhattan’s West Village are filled with people of all ages on a recent Sunday morning. But once the worship service begins, some of the youngest congregants, too small to sit still, are carried to the aisles and the back of the sanctuary by their mothers and fathers.
They cradle their children tightly in their arms; some newborns are placed in baby carriers on their chests. Others use one hand to hold a program and another to hold the hand of a tiny toddler who wants to dance to the worship music.
Jesus, the Name above every other name
Jesus, the only One who could ever save
Worthy of every breath we could ever breathe
We live for You, we live for You
As congregants sing “Build My Life” together in perfect harmony, cries from the babies echo in response. The music at Emmanuel Anglican ranges from the traditional to the contemporary. Parents sing and sway as morning light softly shines down through the colorful stained-glass windows illustrating scenes from the Bible.
Emmanuel Anglican, at 232 W. 11th St., puts a premium on young families. Parents know that their children, between 6 months old through the fifth grade, can foster a relationship with Jesus from an early age. The first 20 minutes of services, before the children are escorted out of the sanctuary and into classrooms for Sunday School, allow them the opportunity to experience the Word of God through prayers and songs, even if they don’t understand the meaning of it all just yet.
Amber Salladin, the church’s music director, explains that God works through generations. “We don’t ever want to segment people by age or race or gender,” she said. “At the same time, we really think that the kids should be able to learn in a way that works for them and is age-appropriate for them, so that’s why they go downstairs for their own thing. But we wait 20 minutes, so that they get used to what it’s like to be upstairs.”
Before the children are excused, they are invited to the front of the entire congregation. Children break free from the grasp of their parents, who eventually follow, and run onto the altar like it’s a playground; they laugh, dance and play together on the main stage directly below the massive organ, the centerpiece of the sanctuary.
Then those children, who continue to play innocently, are prayed for; they are blessed for choosing to gather together and worship the Lord this morning.
Help them to lay the firm foundation for you and your scripture this morning.
The behavior of these children is not seen as disruptive to this congregation, who warmly embrace the younger generations who are starting their journey to nurture a relationship with Jesus. Once the children are ushered out of the room and led downstairs to Sunday School, there’s a moment of calm and quiet; no more crying babies or screaming toddlers.
And the service continues.