Those who doubt the vibrancy of the church should have experienced life Sunday inside Myers Park United Methodist – outside actually, for the promise of the church was captured in a moment’s encounter between a father and a son.

Walking to church for the first morning of a new season of Sunday School, a father holding his little boy’s hand looked down and asked, “Are you excited, buddy?”

The son answered with a smile.

In this season of great expectations, when churches (and schools) everywhere are opening its doors to all the possibilities, we welcomed children and families to Myers Park. Sarah Sumner and Amanda Stone, who bring love and organization to their ministry to children, report that 464 kids and teachers filled our classrooms on Sunday morning. That explains why the two can barely muster a whisper on Monday morning.
 
There was hubbub Sunday, a few nervous tears and a lot of little voices turned up loud. But mostly what there was – from the opening assembly at 9:45 a.m. to the closing Blessing of the Backpacks at 6:00 p.m. – was a sense that the church matters. That we have the power still to shape young minds and hearts and, in so doing, shape a world in need of God’s mercy.

Sunday morning, rising sixth-graders were called to the front of Jubilee Hall for a formal good-luck and farewell as they graduated to Youth Ministries. The rest of the young crowd marched off moments later to their classrooms. I’d have taken better notes but I was busy putting out extra chairs for the crowd. I did notice one child pulling on his mom to take him to his class. How dare she slow down to chat with another mom, there’s learning to be done here!

Sunday afternoon belonged to an older crowd.

Youth Ministries welcomed dozens of kids to the parking lot for fun and games and Mexican eats – our way of getting the year off to a rocking start. Church member Penn Dillard brought his usual array of cool, inflatable attractions for kids to bounce on, earning him the nickname Mr. Inflatable from David Dulin, who was helping at the Mexico buffet line.

At 5:00 p.m., the new Bible study for youth with learning disabilities welcomed 13 kids.The Trailblazers, they voted to call themselves, and the name fits in a faith world that needs to pay a little more attention to those with special needs.

Finally, at 6:00 p.m., for 100 or so youth whose energy knows no bounds, Communion was celebrated in Jubilee Hall, and we prayed for the start of the school year. There on the Communion table, at the close of a day of great energy and deep optimism, rested a backpack.

A tool for learning.

A symbol of the season.

Evidence of the relevance of the church.