A Personal Reflection by the Most Rev. Anne Germond
At our recent Executive Committee meeting, we spent time reflecting on children, youth, and family ministry as we continue shaping our diocesan vision for the future. The conversation was prompted by some of the findings that have emerged through our discussions and research—findings that remind us of an important reality.
The Church has only a small window of time with children and young people. Faith is not formed primarily in church buildings or parish programs. More often than not, faith is formed at home, in the daily rhythms of family life, through relationships, conversations, and examples that are lived out over time.
One of the questions raised around the table was this: What can the Church do to support grandparents who want to nurture faith in their grandchildren?
As people shared their thoughts, I found myself returning to a simple conviction.
I want our children and grandchildren to know that they belong.
Belonging comes first.
Before believing, there is belonging. Before becoming who God calls us to be, there is belonging. If a child does not know there is a place for them, how can they learn to believe? How can they grow into the person Christ is calling them to become?
When I think about my own children growing up in the Church, what I remember most is that they knew they had a place. They knew the Church was theirs too. Not just the adults’ church. Not simply a place they visited. It was a community where they belonged.
That conviction was unexpectedly reinforced for me this week.
While grocery shopping in Sudbury, a teenager looked across the meat counter and said, “You look a lot like the reverend from my church.”
The comment caught me by surprise. I have not served in that parish for nearly ten years. I have no idea how often that young person attends church today. Yet it wasn’t the recognition that stayed with me. It was those two simple words: my church.
My church.
Something in that young woman’s experience had taught her that this was a place that belonged to her and a place where she belonged.
For me, that is the heart of our work with children, youth, and families.
Programs matter. Events matter. Camps matter. Christian education matters. All of these are important. But underneath them all lies a deeper question: Are we creating communities where children and young people know they belong?
Do they know their voices matter? Do they know they are seen? Do they know there is a place for them at the table, a place for them in worship, a place for them in service, and a place for them in the life of God’s Church?
If we can help our young people answer “yes” to those questions, then we are laying the foundation upon which faith can grow.
This week, we are dedicating the Algoma Weekly News to children, youth, and family ministry. In all the featured articles, you will find stories, resources, and opportunities that point toward a hopeful future. You will read about young people gathering from across our Ecclesiastical Province for a provincial youth event, a young leader from our Diocese stepping forward to help lead Alongside Hope’s Wild Ride initiative, and a new opportunity for youth to share their perspectives on social justice through creativity and storytelling.
You will also find an update on the Diocese’s Children, Youth & Family Ministry consultation process. The early findings confirm what many of us already know. Congregations across Algoma care deeply about children, youth, and families, but many are also experiencing the challenges of limited capacity, volunteer fatigue, and the difficulty of sustaining ministry in a rapidly changing world.
These realities are important to acknowledge honestly. At the same time, I believe they invite us not to discouragement, but to imagination.
The Church has always been a creative and resilient people. We may not all have the same resources, the same programs, or the same opportunities. Yet every parish can find ways—large or small—to help a child or young person know that they belong. Sometimes that begins with an invitation. Sometimes it begins with a conversation. Sometimes it begins simply by making room and paying attention.
I am deeply grateful for the many clergy, lay leaders, parents, grandparents, volunteers, and young people who continue to invest themselves in this ministry. As we continue discerning God’s future for the Diocese of Algoma, my prayer is that we will become ever more intentional about creating communities where children and young people know, beyond any doubt, that they belong.
Because when people know they belong, they become open to believing.
And through God’s grace, they become who they are called to be in Christ.
+Anne