O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouths of babes and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. (Psalm 8:1-2)

Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 19:14)

There is such a wide-eyed wonder that children have toward God. Perhaps that is why the kingdom of heaven belongs "to such" as these. Children have a place in the heart of God, and they had an open-armed welcome from Jesus. The disciples blundered in the Matthew story. They rebuked the people who were bringing the children to Jesus. Perhaps they wanted to keep things orderly. But Jesus welcomed the delightful disruption that comes with children.

And so, children have a special place in the church. We signal this with baptism, and we practice this in our vow that we will "assist the parents in the Christian nurture" of their children. Today, let's unite to pray for our SPLASH ministry:
Thank God for his blessings on our church through SPLASH: volunteer participation, Kids Camp, and the weekly experience of stories, care, friendships, and the teaching of the gospel.
Pray for the hearts of all the children, some of whom find in SPLASH their primary way of learning about Jesus; and for others, who are having reinforced what they are learning at home.
Pray that God will continue to raise up volunteers and teachers, all with joyful hearts, as the number of children continues to grow. Ask God to bless us with church-wide vision and ownership of the SPLASH effort.
Pray for Michelle Crouse and her family, as she continues to lead our SPLASH effort. Pray for a growing base of leaders around her, especially to help shoulder the work on Sundays.
Pray High Tide, the monthly worship experience for children. Pray for the High Tide team who work to tell the stories of the Bible in an engaging way.
Ask God to encourage each teacher, volunteer, and nursery worker.
Finally, pray for the many children and families around us who are not yet churchgoers, that their lives will be touched and changed by the gospel, through what God is doing in SPLASH.