One in series of posts by Southern New England Conference delegates to the 34th General Synod of the United Church of Christ.

I finally arrived in Indianapolis for the 34th General Synod. As I entered the plenary hall where the opening worship was about to begin, I was greeted by "We are Marching In the Light of God" and by a host of people filled with the Spirit. Then, with surprise and happiness, I saw a pray-ground, right in the center of the plenary hall crowded with children of different ages. It stood out to me that this pray ground is I n the center of the hall.

Reflecting on this year's theme "Making All Things New,” Jamar Doyle, the preacher at the opening worship, emphasized that making things new requires change - and consequently, change requires us to look and care for others by discerning their needs. In light of seeing the pray-ground, I was thinking about the needs of families. The cost of childcare has skyrocketed; many parents in Massachusetts are unable to afford childcare which can cost more than 50% of a person's income; many families look for a place that embraces children; many teenagers have mental health issues due to performance stress in schools. In their busy lives families seek places in which their children learn how to be a part of and find spiritual grounding.

How do you envision your congregation to make things new for families so they feel they have a spiritual home - not just on Sunday morning for worship but throughout their daily lives? How can we as the church support the families? It takes a village - it takes a church!