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WORKSHOPS
The Wonder Summit offers workshops grounded in theology, attentive to local and cultural context, and rich in practical ideas for engaging children in worship and prayer. We invite you to diversify your workshop choices, weaving together theological reflection, contextual awareness, and practical tools to enrich your ministry.
More workshops are coming soon! Keep an eye on this page to see all 15 workshops you can choose from!
THEOLOGICAL
PLAY, ON PURPOSE: REIMAGINING YOUR SERMON WITH PLAY
REV. DR. LAKISHA R. LOCKHART
This dynamic and imaginative workshop will invite participants to explore the transformative power of play in worship and preaching. Far from being frivolous or childish, play opens pathways for creativity, connection, and deeper theological meaning. Together, participants will consider how intentional, purposeful play can enliven congregational life—especially in worship spaces shared with children—and reframe sermon preparation as a playful, Spirit-led process. Through reflection, conversation, and embodied practices, attendees will learn how to plan to play on purpose in all they do, embracing play as a vital act of faith, formation, and joyful imagination.
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CONTEXTUAL
BUILDING A CULTURE OF CREATIVITY: PRACTICES THAT MAKE WONDER POSSIBLE
MITCH MARCELLO
If imagination and intergenerational worship are to flourish, they must be supported by culture - the shared values, permissions, and practices that shape what a community believes is possible.
This workshop offers a deeper dive into the elements that nurture a creative congregational culture. Drawing from research, real-world examples, and ministry experience, we will explore the habits, leadership behaviors, and environmental signals that encourage curiosity, participation, and holy experimentation.
Participants will examine how factors such as permission-giving, psychological safety, storytelling, shared ownership, and playful practice help communities move from performance-driven worship toward participatory, wonder-filled encounters with God.
Through guided reflection and group interaction, attendees will identify cultural barriers within their own contexts and discern practical next steps for cultivating environments where creativity, imagination, and children’s voices are welcomed and valued.
PRACTICAL
PREPARING PARENTS
LISA BOND
Experience what a “Preparing Parents” training entails and hear best practices for preparing parents to guide their children in fully participating in congregational worship.
ALL THREE!
WONDER AT WORK: HOW CHILDREN MAKE MEANING IN WORSHIP
REV. DR. TANYA CAMPEN
Children are not just watching what happens in worship—they are actively making meaning. The question is: are we shaping worship with that in mind?
This interactive workshop invites us to explore and wonder together about how children experience and interpret worship through story, liturgy and ritual, memory markers (symbols, objects, and place), relational awareness, wonder, and meaningful work. Using a practical theological lens, we’ll reflect on our own congregations and consider how worship might more intentionally align with the ways children actually make meaning.
Rather than focusing on why children belong in worship, this session helps us imagine how to design worship that engages their natural ways of encountering God.
Come ready to participate, share, imagine, and experiment. You’ll leave with a practical framework and clear next steps for including children more intentionally in worship—shaping experiences not only for them, but with them, for the flourishing of the whole community.
CONTEXTUAL
THE INTERGENERATIONAL AUDIT: ALIGNING YOUR WORSHIP REALITY WITH INTERGENERATIONAL GOALS
REV. DR. NELSON COWAN
Effective change requires both a clear-eyed look at your congregation’s current reality and an honest assessment of the theological assumptions that can stall intergenerational progress. This workshop will guide you through a unique audit of your congregation’s current practices, identifying both existing gifts and opportunities to better engage children. Inspired by the research and theological insights found in Let the Children Lead: Models for Worship with All Generations(Abingdon Press, 2025), we will move beyond surface-level fixes to focus on the agency and liturgical formation of our youngest members. By connecting these insights with the unique needs of your church, you will leave with a practical, incremental action plan designed to empower children as visible leaders and active participants in intergenerational worship.
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PRACTICAL
ONE BODY, MANY WAYS: INTENTIONALLY INCLUDING NEURODIVERGENT CHILDREN IN GOD'S FAMILY
ELIZABETH CHRISTIE
Coming soon!
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THEOLOGICAL
A THEOLOGY FOR CHILDREN IN WORSHIP
FRED EDIE
While we know in our hearts that children belong, this workshop is designed to help attendees construct a theological account for children’s full participation in the worshipping community. We will explore the gifts and callings of children in worship, why and how worship is made more faithful through their presence, and how worship nurtures faith in children and the rest of us. Through this conversation pastors and children’s leaders will become stronger advocates for children and better equipped to lead their congregations toward faithful innovation by locating children at the center.
PRACTICAL
THE SACRAMENTS: HELPING CHILDREN LIVE INTO GOD'S GIFT
MELANIE C. GORDON
During our time together, we will explore the sacraments in ways that are both meaningful and age appropriate. We will focus on practices that help adults create welcoming spaces for children and help everyone gathered embody the sacraments. Come prepared with one sentence that describes how children in your congregation experience the sacraments. Go forth inspired to make meaning and share in God’s gifts through the sacraments.
CONTEXTUAL
BRAINS AND BELIEF: WHAT COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY REVEALS ABOUT CHILDREN IN WORSHIP
DR. ALLISON SLIGH
Children are far more capable in worship than we often realize. Decades of research in cognitive development show that even young children can follow rituals, remember scripture, grasp abstract concepts about God, and actively participate in faith experiences.
In this interactive workshop, Dr. Allison Sligh—a cognitive psychologist and veteran of United Methodist children’s ministry—will explore:
· How executive function and working memory influence children’s ability to participate in worship.
· How theory of mind allows children to understand God, empathy, and community.
· Ways metacognition and problem-solving skills can be nurtured through discussion, storytelling, and participatory worship.
· The powerful impact of intergenerational worship on both children and adults’ spiritual growth.
Participants will leave equipped with research-backed insights and practical strategies to design worship experiences that engage children as active, capable participants, transforming expectations for all ages.
PRACTICAL
ROOM FOR WONDER: DESIGNING WORSHIP SPACES WHERE CHILDREN BELONG
REV. KATHY PITTENGER
What if our worship spaces truly reflected the value that children belong in worship? This workshop explores how the design and use of space, in a variety of worship settings, can invite children into meaningful participation while enriching worship for the whole community. Participants will discover practical and adaptable ideas for creating worship spaces that make room for wonder, movement, and intergenerational belonging.
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CONTEXTUAL
LET THE LITTLE CHILDREN COME: ENGAGING CHILDREN IN CONTEMPORARY WORSHIP
DR. DEBBIE WONG
Children are not only the future of the church—they are full participants in the church’s worship today. Yet many contemporary worship services are unintentionally designed with adults in mind, leaving children either disengaged or overwhelmed. This workshop explores how contemporary worship can meaningfully form children as worshippers within the gathered congregation. Drawing on insights about how music shapes memory, imagination, and love, we will consider how repetition, embodiment, lyrical theology, and leadership style influence children’s participation. At the same time, we will reflect on what adults can learn from children’s attentiveness, honesty, and embodied engagement in song. How might welcoming children more fully into worship also renew the congregation’s own practices of praise?
Participants will gain practical strategies for cultivating worship that is accessible without being simplistic, engaging without being entertainment-driven, and deeply formative for children and the whole congregation.
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