A Worship Experience for Children		A Ministry of Healing
We welcome children in worship!!! Sometimes it is difficult for young children to understand a sermon geared for an adult congregations or to listen carefully enough to the day's Bible lessons to grasp their meaning.  We now have two different avenues to help children participate more fully in worship and to better understand the day's teachings. Children in 2nd grade and younger are invited to Children's Chapel during the reading of the day's scriptures and the sermon to hear the lessons in language more appropriate for their age.  There is also a lesson on the meaning of one of the scriptures given by one of the pastors or a trained lay leader. A Children's Bulletin Binder is available on the Bookshelf at the Southeast corner of the Sanctuary near the Toddler Bags.  The Binder includes a bulletin designed to encourage independent participation in the worship by children who are able to read. In addition to the Bulletin, the binder includes activities to supplement the day's scripture lessons, worship education, and varied Christian activity pages.		The Christian tradition is built around theologies, rituals and practices that help people find the spiritual strength to live whole, abundant lives in the midst of the realities of life. We are called as a community of faith to support and care for those in need, whatever that need might be. Jesus said, "I have come that they might have life, and have it abundantly" (John 10:10, NRSV) Many gospel narratives show Jesus healing by touching someone, casting out demons, restoring a leper to his community or a woman with a flow of blood to her community—bringing abundant life in many dimensions. Healing is restoration of wholeness and unity of body, mind, and spirit. Healing addresses the suffering caused by the disruption of relationships with God, with our neighbors, and with ourselves. It involves healing whenever possible, but it embraces more than cure. When we limit illness to disease and health care to cure, we miss the deeper dimensions of healing through restoration to God. Human healing activities in all their variety—medicine and other biomedical technologies, cultural and religious practices, governmental and social organizations, human behavior and decisions—can be avenues of healing blessed and empowered by God. Because human beings are finite, none of these activities will produce perfect health. Nevertheless, God gives us curiosity and intelligence, skills and talents to enable us to meet our responsibilities for our own health as well as others and for the social and physical environments that affect our health. Healing Services At Saint Paul Our healing services are meant to be communal as well as individual. Healing services are not a testing of faith in God. But they are the whole community lifting up in prayer the concerns of everyone for healing. It is the passing on of the gifts of the Holy Spirit that we have received. We do not expect to accomplish healing of these problems for the individual or the community but to lift them up in prayer. Miracles are not denied nor are they expected but we ask for the help to bear physical, emotional, spiritual or mental illnesses. Symbols used in our healing services include anointing with oil, a very ancient symbol of the lifting up of prayers for healing. The laying on of hands symbolizes both the passing on of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the concern for the individual. It is the human touch so important for healing. If a month has five Sundays, healing services will be scheduled for one of those Sundays. These healing services are held in the sanctuary on the chosen Sundays.