A woman dressed in white robes with a colorful scarf is sitting at a table with children, holding a small bowl, in a dimly lit room decorated with candles and modern art in the background.

Children in Worship Cohorts

Each spring, we form 6-month-long cohorts to explore the role of children in worship through guided conversations. These cohorts are composed of pairs of participants from a church: the children’s minister and the senior/worship pastor.

The Children in Worship cohort meets twice monthly on Zoom during a 6-month period to create a supportive space where participants can reflect on how faith is experienced and shared within their congregations. A pair of staff members from each church is invited to join the group together and commune with others who are “in the trenches” of children and youth ministry.

During one meeting of the month, an expert in children’s ministry or development will stop by our Zoom call to briefly share about their findings or experiences to the group, followed by a time for questions. The second meeting of the month will be comprised of case studies from the cohort members. During this time, one (or both) from each congregational pair will share with us a small experiment, change, or tweak to worship, its successes and its challenges.

How the Cohort Works

A computer screen showing a video call with multiple people, a teal mug on a wooden table, and part of a laptop keyboard.

Now accepting applications for the 2027 Children in Worship Cohort (January-June 2027)

We are looking for pairs of participants - a children’s minister and senior/worship pastor - from various churches to join a 6-month-long cohort community to explore the role of children in worship through guided conversations. This group will meet twice monthly on Zoom and create a supportive space where participants can reflect on how faith is experienced and shared within their congregations.

Children's Minister Application

The Children in Worship Cohort requirements:

  • One pair of church staff members willing to commit to twice-monthly meetings together. This pair will be composed of (a) your congregation's children's ministry leader and (b) the senior pastor/worship leader.

  • Each member of the pair needs the ability to meet online through Zoom, separately or together.

  • In order to facilitate conversation, churches in the cohort should have gone through the Listening Tour or should schedule a Listening Tour visit.

Senior/Worship Pastor Application

  • I have definitely felt encouraged to try more ways of including the children in various parts of the worship service. I'm excited to think outside of the box in how the kids can be fully engaged in worship.

    —Jacquelyn Rybczynski, Children’s Minister

  • Being in this group gave me more confidence in speaking during worship with kids.

    —Former Cohort member

We look forward to learning alongside members of our Children in Worship Cohort!