• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Building Faith

Building Faith

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • Who We Are
    • Our Writers
    • Author Guidelines
    • FAQs
    • Subscribe
    • Contact Us
  • ARTICLES
    • Articles by Topic
    • Most Recent Articles
  • EN ESPAÑOL
  • RESOURCES
    • Curriculum Center
    • Intergenerational Resources
    • Vacation Bible School
    • Webinars
    • Episcopal Teacher
  • SUPPORT US
  • Show Search
Hide Search
Home/Children & Family/Holy Props for Children’s Worship Space

Holy Props for Children’s Worship Space

 

Preparing Worship Space for Children
If you’re going to offer a separate Liturgy of the Word for children apart from the adults in the main sanctuary, shouldn’t it have all the elements of “big church”? Be sure your space is just as respected and is filled with beautiful objects also.

Holy Props

  • A Gospel book: use one of the recognized translations of the complete Bible rather than a “children’s Bible”. The latter may not have the complete Gospel and much of it will be paraphrased. I recommend the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (the NRSV).
  • The use of a lectionary—that’s the list of readings for the church year.
  • A cross or crucifix.
  • Pieces of cloth to hang over the table in the liturgical colors—green, red, purple, pink, white (and gold if you come across some lam.). Synthetic material doesn’t crease as badly as the good stuff.
  • Candles in portable candlesticks. (Matches—but use tapers to actually light the candles; they look nicer and are easier to handle)
  • Candle snuffers.
  • Small handbells.
  • A stout candle that can stand securely on its own.
  • And, if your church uses them: A holy water stoup and sprinkler (“ aspergillum”) and a spare thurible, charcoal and incense (though check the latter won’t set the fire alarm off).

Holy Extras

  • Icons, posters or postcards of holy pictures, small statues of the saints (plastic is fine!) Try to have at least one image of the patron saint of your church. The National Gallery has an excellent range of posters and postcards on holy subjects by some of the greatest painters in the world. Alternatively you can use images from Wikimedia Commons, the Web Gallery of Art for slide presentation, or simply displayed on your laptop screen.
  • CDs with kids’ hymns, Taize chants and quiet mood music are very useful.

What would you add to this list?

 

About the Author

  • Sharon Ely Pearson

    Sharon Ely Pearson recently retired as Editor & Christian Formation Specialist with Church Publishing Incorporated (CPI) with 35+ years of experience in Christian formation on the local, judicatory, and church-wide level. Known for her knowledge of the variety of published curricula across the Church, she has also had her hand in the birthing of numerous books, including the best-seller, Call on Me: A Prayer Book for Young People and the 6-book series of Faithful Celebrations: Making Time for God. A graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary (2003) and a lifelong Episcopalian, she lives in Norwalk, Connecticut with her husband John, a 17.5 lb. cat named Shadow, and Chobe, a 7-year-old, tennis-ball-fetching, rescue black lab. They have two adult children (both teachers) and a 5-year-old granddaughter who is a budding environmental activist. Follow her at www.rowsofsharon.com.

    View all posts
Print PDF

July 7, 2013 By Sharon Ely Pearson

Filed Under: Children & Family, Worship & Liturgy Tagged With: Children's Chapel, children's ministry, worship

About Sharon Ely Pearson

Sharon Ely Pearson recently retired as Editor & Christian Formation Specialist with Church Publishing Incorporated (CPI) with 35+ years of experience in Christian formation on the local, judicatory, and church-wide level. Known for her knowledge of the variety of published curricula across the Church, she has also had her hand in the birthing of numerous books, including the best-seller, Call on Me: A Prayer Book for Young People and the 6-book series of Faithful Celebrations: Making Time for God. A graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary (2003) and a lifelong Episcopalian, she lives in Norwalk, Connecticut with her husband John, a 17.5 lb. cat named Shadow, and Chobe, a 7-year-old, tennis-ball-fetching, rescue black lab. They have two adult children (both teachers) and a 5-year-old granddaughter who is a budding environmental activist. Follow her at www.rowsofsharon.com.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Wendy Lewis

    August 8, 2019 at 4:04 am

    I prefer battery operated candles with children. They can’t get burnt and they don’t spill and it’s easier on insurance

Primary Sidebar

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS

Subscribe to Building Faith

You’ll get new articles, plus free weekly updates in your inbox.

We respect your privacy. View our privacy policy here.

Search Our Site

New Articles

Close-up of wooden three-dimensional English alphabet puzzle with letters in yellow, purple, green, blue, red, and pink in rows on a light brown base

Building Faith’s Top Picks for Children’s Ministry Curriculum

Looking for the “best” curriculum for your children's ministry? There are many options from a …

Continue Reading about Building Faith’s Top Picks for Children’s Ministry Curriculum

"Visually Safe Disability Pride Flag" with red, yellow, white, light blue, and green diagonal stripes from upper left to lower right on a dark gray background

New and Recent Resources for Disability Pride Month

July is Disability Pride Month in the U.S. As Lizzie Cox explains in her article "Disability Pride …

Continue Reading about New and Recent Resources for Disability Pride Month

Two hands of a person with dark skin tone shaping bronze-colored clay on a pottery wheel in front of a blurred blue background with brown spots

“Nobody’s Perfect”: A Resource for Talking to Youth about Sin

Content warning: This article mentions sexual assault and racial violence. In November of 2018, …

Continue Reading about “Nobody’s Perfect”: A Resource for Talking to Youth about Sin

Footer

Keep in Touch

  • Email
  • Facebook

Building Faith

Lifelong Learning, Virginia Theological Seminary
3737 Seminary Rd.
Alexandria, VA 22304

Copyright © 2025 · Building Faith · A Ministry of Virginia Theological Seminary

Design by Blue+Pine Creative, Inc.

Subscribe to Building Faith

Get articles and resources by email

Privacy Policy

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website.
If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.