A Day at the Polls

I write this post after a very late night. Yesterday, I was a Poll Clerk for the Canadian federal election. We started setting up at 8 am and I got back to my apartment at 11:45 pm. Lucky for me, I had an excellent source who texted not only what the early results were from Atlantic Canada and beyond as the night wore on, but also the updated score on the Jays game. Once home, I joined many other people watching the results come in on television and hearing the leaders’ speeches.

As the day wore on, I was moved by the number of parents bringing their children with them. Perhaps this was no different than previous elections, but I have a hunch that as well as overall voter turnout up being up, children attending was too. Most of the parents not only brought their child right up to the table as they received their ballot, but also took them behind the screen to show them what they were doing, explaining everything that was going on from start to finish and why it was important. They even went over etiquette, like waiting your turn because everyone’s vote is private. Many pointed out to their child how easy voting was to do.

This has made me think about how we approach being the church with families. I have experienced churches where almost everything to do with children is kept separate from the adults. Once they are old enough, practiced enough or have been taught enough about what the grownups are doing (what church really is) then they are allowed to observe and, possibly, participate in a limited way. Parents and caregivers are to instruct and control them so that rituals are not disturbed.

I have also experienced churches where there is anxiety about having kids at all. Keeping any that find their way in is the priority, so things need to be fun, mimicking their secular comfort zone. Teaching is minimal because they already spend five days a week in school after all. Too much Jesus or God talk is a turn off, particularly in a post-Christian and biblically illiterate culture. The focus is instead on busy activities and eating and games and movies, perhaps with a few songs and Bible stories thrown in, all catering to what the kids like.

I mention these extremes not in judgement, because having seen both church cultures in action I know they come out of good intentions. But I wonder how different things would look if we actively adopted some of what I witnessed yesterday. Here are five not-so-new ideas:

1. Have good signage and a consistent, friendly greeter who makes sure people are in the right place and know where to go depending on their needs. Checking ID is probably a bit of an extreme! But we do want to get to know people and meet them where they are.

2. Allow parents to explain what is happening in worship and at other faith community events, and equip them so they know how to do this. Offer clear information about what we do and why, and don’t be troubled by noise now and then – it’s a sign of growth.

3. Let parents include their children as much or as little in what is going on as they feel comfortable. Encourage active participation, knowing this is how they learn. Many of the children I met will never forget this momentous day and experiencing it with their parents.

4. Make the times that we come together as one body to be true celebrations. I apologized to an 18 year old nervous, but excited, first-time voter for not having balloons or something to celebrate this milestone. How do we truly celebrate faith milestones?

5. We don’t want to remove the mystery or pretend that we control our God. At the same time we can dispel the notion that church is hard, onerous, boring, irrelevant and not worthwhile (of course, we have to first ensure it is none of these things as they do not represent or honour the God we serve).

I was amazed at the social media and other campaigns letting people know just how important it was to vote yesterday. For weeks this has been the focus everywhere. Would we be as willing to go to friends and neighbours to let them know how important our faith and church community are to us? urging them to not miss out on experiencing the religious freedoms we enjoy in Canada? sharing with them the incredible gifts we receive and can offer to others because of our faith, and what we can do together in God’s name?

Now wouldn’t that be something amazing!