Projects of the “Child-friendly church” workshop

The “Child-Friendly Church” workshop was launched to generate new ideas or improve existing initiatives at the parish level to make children’s stay in the church comfortable, interesting and safe. It lasted two days, and 15 parishes of the UGCC took part in it. UCU’s Child Dignity Center provided ten parishes with mini-grants to implement projects to improve conditions for their youngest parishioners.

We have prepared ten videos about implemented projects, in which the parishes’s members tell how they arranged spaces and initiated child-friendly activities:

• “Ascension of God’s Love” project. The team of the “Ascension of the Lord” parish of the Frankivsk Deanery organised the training session for a group of young volunteers (10-15 people) working with children and youth with mental disabilities.
• “Monastery Catechism and Creativity” project. The team of the parish of the Church of St. Joseph the Betrothed at the Monastery of the Sisters of Mercy of St. Vincent created a catechetical and artistic space for catechesis and creative activities (handicraft groups, workshops, music, and choir) for children aged 5-15.
• “Art Circle” Project. The Transfiguration of Our Lord Parish team in Sknyliv created a comfortable and safe space for an artistic children’s club for children aged 7 to 14 in the catechism class of the church.
• “Children’s Corner” project. In the catechetical school at the parish of the Church of the Holy Great Martyr St. Demetrios, a safe play area was organised for children who study here or come here with their parents for meetings.
• “The Ark of Childhood” зroject. The goal is to develop the Christian children’s space “Angelyatko” (“Little Angel”) at the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Pustomyty by improving the children’s area for preschoolers and providing quality leisure time for children.
• The “Room for Spiritual and Creative Meetings of Children and Youth” project. The team of the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos Mistress of Ukraine in Lviv established an educational space for IDPs, youth and children of the parish to hold educational seminars, spiritual and patriotic development sessions, regular catechesis for preschool and school-age children and teenagers.
• “Seminar on Methods of Non-violent Communication for Parents” project. The Church of Saint Sophia - Wisdom of God (UCU) in Lviv held a three-day event on non-violent communication techniques for parents with difficulties communicating with their teenage children.
• School of Christian animator “Best Friend”. School of Christian Animator, “Best Friend”, was established in the Church of St. Archangel Michael in the village of Zapytiv. The school aims to train animators to work with children in the parish.
• “Let the Children Come To Me” space. Workshop participants created a safe space for parish children - a playground near the Church of St. Archangel Michael in the village of Zashkiv.
• Social and recreational kitchen room. At the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-giving Cross Parish, a social-recreational kitchen room was set up to provide a place to conduct cooking classes for children, charitable activities and recreation.

You can watch a video about each project using the link below.