| Show CHILDREN AT WORSHIP Children Learn Responsibility I By Holding Own Church Services The town of at Milton Mass is the site of ot Americas America's only childrens children's church run by and for children Each Sunday morning the bell bellat bellof bellof of at the little colonial building calls eighty young members of at the Childrens Children's Children's Childrens Childrens Children's Chil Chil- drens dren's Church of at the First Parish Unitarian church to services A tiny blond child with a solemn gaze gazo toddles up to a miniature alter alter alter al al- al- al ter clutching a taper In both hands Teetering back and forth on her thin legs she lights the alter candles One of ot the elders ciders of the church a year old girl quietly quiet quiet- ly walks to the organ and stretches her fingers over the keys as a cue n i is s i iv f v V sr s r The Tho size house C h 11 drens dren's Church at Milton 1 Mass 1 is the tho first church In inthe tho the country founded exclusively exclusive exclusive- ly for children They sing their hymns read tho the scripture and conduct their own prayers Above the youthful choir files files files' out of ot Its own church headed for its parent church where the young people sometimes sing for special services for the choir to start assembling its dignity There may not be much technical perfection to the voice 15 choir with its wavering childish trebles and uncertain adolescent altos but there is Immense dignity There is the same dignity about the congregation seated in the small pews As the majestic tones of their own Hammond organ swell up Alice Wonderland like girls sit quietly in their then pews with none of the fidgeting and giggling that often characterizes youngsters attending attending attending at at- tending religious services Solemn- Solemn faced boys pay determined atten- atten L 1 t. t what before tion to it LU Vua 1 is is j going Uti on them mindful that they are present present present pres pres- ent in their own church instead of that of their elders Even the five- five year olds are conscious of the dignity dignity dignity dig dig- of their position in this their own religious world Children from 5 to 15 years old lead the hymns read the scripture and conduct their own prayers The only adult taking part is Mrs Edyth minister of ot this miniature congregation for the past nine years THE TIlE CHILDRENS CHILDREN'S CHURCH was the idea of the late wife of ot the Rev Vivian Pomeroy who is pastor of the First Parish Unitarian church attended by the childrens children's parents Mrs Pomeroy believed children should have a service they could understand and enjoy one that would be their very own She was instrumental in having an abandoned abandoned abandoned aban aban- schoolhouse moved to the church grounds adjoining the adult church in 1937 An entry way steeple window shutters and paint were added to transform it into the diminutive house of worship Everything about it is scaled to childrens children's size The children begin their service in the larger church next door where the Rev Pomeroy delivers a childrens children's sermon but that is the end of at their time in the adult religious religious religious re re- re- re world Immediately after the sermon they file quietly out to their own small church where they take over Its It's not a game with them It is a very serious matterand matter matterand matterand and each of the 80 members reflects his satisfaction with the arrangement arrangement arrangement arrange arrange- ment in his feeling of responsibility about the conduct of his church |
