Pastor Ella

Yesterday Ella experienced a new first-- a Sunday morning not spent entirely in the nursery! When children at our church turn 3, they graduate from the nursery and start attending worship in the sanctuary. They stay for the first part, which is mostly singing, then leave for Children In Worship. Ella is not technically 3 for a few more weeks, but a friend who is the teacher offered to take her out of nursery and to Children In Worship. We knew she was ready to start actually learning and worshipping at church (instead of just playing) so we were not surprised that she loved it and did great. She'll continue to attend nursery and Children In Worship until summer break and in the fall we'll start bringing her into church with us when she'll start up again.

With this update on Ella's church life, I'd thought I'd also share something that's been hilarious to Dave and me lately. Ella's favorite game to play is "Pastor Ella." Here is what it entails: setting up a pulpit, positioning a sermon manuscript on it (usually a magazine, but for this picture she's actually using a children's Bible), delivering a sermon to us, praying, then leading us in a song. Here are some of the funny things she says, "Mommy, Daddy, sit down it's time for your sermon!" or "I am Pastor Bruce, wait I have to go get my moustache..." The "sermon" is typically some silly babble about a Bible story she knows mixed with narration of the magazine pictures she's flipping though. The prayer is usually something sweet and simple about thanking God for blessings. Her after-sermon songs of choice are "Jesus Loves the Little Children" and "This Little Light of Mine." We find it especially interesting that she has this routine down so well-- she really has nothing to base it on, as she's spent her entire church life in the nursery so far. Pastor instincts, I guess!