Anyone who does anything to help a child in his life is a hero to me.
~Fred Rogers

Wise words from everyone’s favorite neighbor, Mr. Rogers. Fred Rogers was an ordained Presbyterian Minister and one-man crusade to send a message of respect and caring to children. An enduring American icon, Mr. Rogers demonstrated to children through his public television broadcast the basic tenets of Christianity. Love, service, and hope were central to his work. Rogers' commitment to children, however, wasn't limited to the TV set. In 1968, he served as chairman of a White House forum on child development and the mass media and was often consulted as an expert or witness on those issues. "Those of us in broadcasting have a special calling to give whatever we feel is the most nourishing that we can for our audience," Mr. Rogers said. "We are servants of those who watch and listen."

Amen.

Perhaps the quote we are most familiar with from Mr. Rogers is, “Won’t you be my neighbor?” This is what serves as the inspiration for Children’s Chapel this summer at St. Bart’s. Children will be asked to discover their “neighbors” here at St. Bart’s.

Children will depart from church on Sunday mornings to the Education Building for a devotional, a short talk on community, and then a variety of hands-on projects. They will also be handed a booklet that they will use to navigate their community and get to know YOU better after the 10:15 service. The goal is for our children to know their church better. YOU are the church. Some children may be shy. Some may need help reading their booklets. They will also have disposable cameras to snap a picture of the person they connect with. This summer, please be on the lookout for children looking to discover who their church is. Let us help them understand through word and deed that we are one body in Christ.

Let’s be neighbors who know each other, who aid one another, who care for one another. If you would like to volunteer in Children’s Chapel this summer, I welcome you to the neighborhood.