How to Become a Child and Woman-Friendly Church?

By Egis Apriyani.          

Young people need to understand themselves and others because it will help them behave towards other people, especially children, and women. As a young Christian generation, their attitude reflects how the church plays a role in the growth of youth’s faith and character. For this reason, Multiplication of Stube HEMAT in Lampung encourage young people to increase their understanding through training of Child and Women-Friendly Church, which took place at GKSBS Kutosari, a branch of GKSBS Batanghari (28-30/10/2022).

Rev. Theresia T. Tahulending from MPS GKSBS delivered material about the position of children and women in the church (Saturday, 29/10/2022). She explained that the church was called and placed by God in the world for justice, peace, and the restoration of creation as the calling of the church. The church has a significant role in providing education on parenting patterns in families and is a place for church youth and children to use their spare time positively, innovatively, creatively, safely, and comfortably. The church is also responsible to protect children, women, and families from acts of violence. From the explanation, it can be understood that a child and women-friendly church is the embodiment of the Triduties of the Church and every child and woman has the right to receive protection of obscenity, violence, sexual harassment, discrimination, and so on, whereas, this is in line with government program for child and women protection. Likewise, the church becomes a church that is open to witness and to build networks.

The resource person continued that in church history, the position of women and children is vulnerable because the Bible and church tradition contain imbalance roles and positions between men and women. Women are considered lower, second class, weak, less capable, and easily controlled, while men have a higher position and power, so that men have more opportunities to hold power and leadership. For centuries, the church tradition used concepts derived from several scriptures and became the basis for understanding the position of women, which is different from that of men. However, if we review the position and role of women in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, there are two ideas. Genesis 1 and 2 state that God created women and they have the right to participate, and to regenerate, it also states that children do not belong to their parents but to God, as God's people and children are fully human and created in the image of God.

Rev. Theresia conveyed the appreciation for children and women to develop a faith education for children, providing facilities or worship rooms for children to make them comfortable, involving children and women in events or worship according to their capacity, and ensuring guarantees equal rights in the church.

From the training, participants gained a new understanding of children and women, besides their right to get protection of acts of obscenity, sexual violence, discrimination, and so on. Children and women also have the right to receive spiritual services in the church. Youth, women, and children, keep moving forward and doing church work and ministry. ***