Numerous nineteenth-century juveniles included scenes where children "played minister" or "played church." This concept also appeared in non-fiction designed to encourage proper behavior on the Sabbath.
The following excerpt comes from a revised version of a book originally issued in 1893. The preface explains that Rev. Stall began using children's sermons with his congregation as a way of increasing children's attendance at and interest in church. The sermons were then republished in book form "to afford all parents a valuable aid in making Sunday . . . the brightest, happiest and best dayof the entire week for both parents and children [. . . .] The idea [is] to enable the parents to teach spiritual truths in the most effective manner [by using] on Sunday afternoons, . . . the fifty-two little sermons." In addition to the sermons, the volume's introductory material demonstrates yet another example of children "playing church," this time under parental guidance.
Excerpts from Sylvanius Stall, With the Children on Sundays: Through Eye-Gate and Ear-Gate into the City of Child-Soul (Philadelphia: Uplift Publishing Company, 1911?)
SUGGESTIONS TO PARENTS.
HELPFUL METHODS FOR MAKING SUNDAY AFTERNOON WITH THE
CHILDREN THE MOST PLEASANT AND PROFITABLE
DAY OF THE WEEK.
The idea of "playing church" is by no means an innovation. What is
shown in the pictures upon a preceding page has been actualized in many homes.
Let me quote from a single letter which lies before me:
"The writer was one of a large family of children and well remembers the
Sunday afternoons spent in his village home. 'Playing church,' was one of its
features. The chairs were placed in regular fashion, imitating the seating arrangements of a church, every one of us took his or her turn as preacher, hymns
were sung, a real collection was taken and one of us, as preacher, took his text
and preached the sermon. There wasn't a dull moment in those good, old Sunday afternoons in our home. Occasionally, the preacher would provoke a smile
by his original way of handling the text and of emphasizing some point in his
"We have all grown up since those happy days; some of us attained to a
degree of efficiency as public speakers, and we attribute much of our efficiency
and character in life to those profitable Sunday afternoon hours."
From the experiences of the children as narrated above, the suggestion
occurs, why not use these object talks in like manner? "Play church" Sunday
afternoons, read an "object sermon," show the illustrations, ask the questions at
the end of each chapter and then follow it up with a discussion from the children,
giving their ideas and experiences.
You will find that you will get as much benefit and entertainment from
these Sunday afternoons "playing church" service as the children will. You will
be surprised at their interest and the originality that they will display in these discussions. You will be quickening their faculty of observation and stirring their
[18 SUGGESTIONS TO PARENTS.]
imaginations, in a manner that will surely make observant, thoughtful and considerate men and women of the children, and consequently, affect their entire
destinies in the years to come. Then, too, you yourself will be helped mentally
and spiritually, because it is absolutely true that in the devotion that we exhibit
and the time and attention that we give to our children in this companionship,
-:."e will ourselves be receiving large blessings in the development of our own
character and the finer characteristics that make for good people.
The following suggestions will be helpful, to which original ideas may
always be added.
1. Make the "Afternoon Church" a real, not frivolous, occasion. The time
it requires to make careful, pains-taking preparation on the part of the parent,
is always profitably employed.
2. The afternoon church should always be a regular, fixed engagement.
It adds to its importance.
3. Do not postpone nor omit it for any trivial reason. Treat it as any
other important engagement.
4. When visitors are in the home, invite them to be present and to participate. It will help them as well as the juniors.
5. The fact that there is only one child in the family does not preclude
the idea of playing church; for the dolls can be brought to church and even
chairs can be converted into imaginary people.
6. Never permit the realness of the occasion to be questioned. Always
avoid embarrassing the child and never ridicule. Refrain from laughing at any
mistakes that may be made in speech, thought or conduct of the child, unless he
first sees the mistake and invites you to join in his mirth.
7. Ask any additional questions pertinent to the subject besides those
suggested at the end of each sermon. It will develop wider thought and
increase the interest.
8. Encourage the child to ask questions, but always lead in directing the
9. Adults present should always enter seriously and earnestly into the
whole program or plan with the child's spirit. Where adults enter upon the
execution of the plan with this spirit it adds much to the enjoyment of all. If
they cannot do this, they should not participate.
10. A bell can be slowly rung as the time for church approaches.
11. Use the brightest and most cheerful room in the house for the afternoon church. Add to the furnishings on Sunday anything which may make
the room even more than ordinarily attractive.
[SUGGESTIONS TO PARENTS. 19]
12. Chairs may be suitably arranged and a child can drive the others to
and from church in an imaginary carriage, as shown in one of the pictures
upon another page.
13. When the church is held in another room, an older child or person
can receive the attendants and usher them to seats.
14. Open the church service with singing. Select several simple devotional hymns or songs, such as are used in the primary department of Sunday-schools. Have all the children learn the tunes and teach a verse of each song
to any child that cannot read.
15. A collection can be lifted by one of the children. A toy bank may
be used in which to save the money received at this child's service, and subsequently contributed through the Church or Sunday-school for missionary purposes.
16. Teach the children the importance of saving from their own spending
money, or earning what they wish to give in the collection.
17. This money should always be regarded as sacred, and care should
also be exercised lest this little fund might become a source of temptation to
the children during the week.
18. At some time during the service a brief prayer should be offered.
This may consist of a sentence prayer by each in rotation or by all uniting in
the Lord's Prayer, or in some brief selection from the Prayer Book.
19. When a child is willing or wishes to do so, have him preach the
sermon in his own way of expressing the thought, using the text or object
of the day for his subject. Always give the same interested attention to him
that is expected from him when another leads.
20. Some of the objects mentioned in the sermons can be easily and
cheaply obtained for use at the church. When such an object is secured, it
should not be shown to the children in advance of being used.
21. Do not prolong the service too greatly so as to weary the children.
Effectiveness and pleasure usually terminate at the same time. Lend animation to the service and interest will not so soon flag. It is well also to impart
interest by having the parent enter heartily into every part of the service.
22. A social period after "returning home" from the "children's church"
should be introduced.. If the children have played driving to church before the
service, the idea should be continued and completed by driving home in the
23. After the conclusion of the church service, additional exercises or
games suited to the sacredness of the day may be appropriately used to enter-
[20 SUGGESTIONS TO PARENTS.]
tain the children and continue their happiness. By methods of this kind, Sunday
may be made not only the most profitable, but the brightest and best day of the
24. Some light refreshment may be introduced, as fruit, cake or candy.
This refreshment should be something very simple and inexpensive, and also
something not calculated to spoil the appetite or injure the digestion of the
child. In recognition of good conduct, close attention or special help at the
church service, one of the children may choose what the refreshment is to be
for the next Sunday. This choice should be kept a secret during the week.
25. Pictures and illustrations can be cut from magazines, and these can
be pasted in a scrap book or on blank paper to represent Bible characters and
scenes, or those used in the sermons.
26. Many acting games and tableaux can be arranged by the children from
the sermons and Bible stories. Chairs can be arranged so as to represent a pit
or tent, and the children within them may be "Joseph in the Pit" (Genesis
xxxvii) or "Daniel in the Lion's Den" (Daniel vi). See illustrations on pages
80 and 91.
FOR OLDER CHILDREN.
27. Let one child represent an idol. He must stand motionless and give
no sign of life. The others are to ask him questions and for favors. If the
"idol" laughs, moves or speaks, he loses and another takes his place. Idols are
lifeless things that cannot move, see, hear or speak.
28. Children's blocks are useful in building a well, altar, castle, temple,
chariot, etc. Have the children give a text or verse from the Bible referring
to the objects builded. A Bible story may be told about the object, its history,
29. One child, or more as may be needed, can pose to represent a character or scene. The others are to guess the character represented. For example: A child can sit with hands upheld. A child on each side of him hold up
the extended arms. They represent Moses with Aaron and Hur during the
battle (Ex. xvii: 12).
30. Charades, or words and scenes may be represented by the children
in motion. The children may be divided into groups. One group will select
a word and represent it in the presence of the others by motions. For example:
Children come into the room and go through the motion of sowing ("Seeds"),
reaping ("Harvest"), threshing with a flail ("Wheat and Chaff"), picking
flowers ("Weeds and Flowers"), taking pictures ("Eye and Camera"). Many
of the sermon subjects may be used in this manner. Cutting stone, measuring,
eating husks, washing dirty face, etc. The other groups are to guess the word
and have their turn.
[SUGGESTIONS TO PARENTS. 21]
31. Children are always fond of riddles; especially when they are able
to guess the answer. The suggested review questions at the close of each
object sermon for afternoon church, may often be effectively used with slight
changes. For example: "What is it that cannot see nor hear, but always knows
when danger is near?" The answer is-"The Oyster."
What is it which no boy or girl can see or hear, and the approach of which
can not be made known by any of the natural senses? (Sin.)
What is it which tells us when sin is near? (Conscience.)
Have the children try to make up their own riddles from the objects
shown and their uses, or lessons learned from the sermons.
SLATES AND CRAYONS.
32. Provide slates, or paper and pencils may be provided, and the children draw the object or something suggested by its use. Always have blank
paper and pencils on hand for some of the games or exercises mentioned below.
33. Cheap colored crayons can often be used with added value.
34. Each Sunday appoint one child to take charge of the slates, papers
and pencils, which ,\e to be kept in a safe place and not disturbed during the
week, and then to distribute them on the following Sunday.
BUILDING AND WORD GAMES.
35. Word building games are always interesting. Cut small squares of
cardboard and plainly mark each with a letter. Many more vowels than consonants will be required. (These little squares with printed letters can be purchased at any toy-store.) Mix up the squares on a table, and the child who
spells the largest number of names of places or objects mentioned in the sermons, using the letters on the squares, wins the game.
36. This can be played in a variety of ways. For instance: Select the
name of an object, person or place, and the one who first picks out the necessary
letters to spell it, is declared the winner.
37. Each child is given the same number of assorted letters and all try
to make up the largest list of names from his portion of letters in a given time.
38. Tell a Bible story, or review one of the object sermons, omitting the
names of characters or objects. Without warning, the one reciting the story
stops, and the next player carries on the story if he has been able to guess the
omitted names, without mentioning them. If he has not discovered or guessed
Through Eye-Gate and Ear-Gate Into the City of
THE OYSTER AND THE CRAB.
SUGGESTIONS TO PARENTS : -- It will awaken the curiosity and add greatly to
the interest of the children if the parent will have them secure during the week
preceding a couple of oyster shells. In most of cities and towns, these can he
easily obtained. It is better for the children themselves to secure them, because
it makes them participants and important factors in what is to be done. Do not
tell them in advance what use is to be made of the oyster shells; simply say that
they are for use in connection with Sunday afternoon.
Introduce the play idea from the beginning. Let the children arrange the
chairs to "drive to church," as shown in the preceding pictures. If there are two
children who both want to do the driving, suggest that one can drive to church
and the other can drive when returning from church-and a third may drive from
the house to the stable when the horses are to be put away.
At the church service let everything be done reverently, and make it a matter
of real worship. One of the children can act as usher, and if there is but one
child, this one can usher her dolls to seats; or imaginary people may be shown to
seats. All of this will appeal very strongly to the child. Select hymns suited to
the children's tastes and such as they can sing. Do not sing too many verses.
Children like variety.
The service ought to be such as is in harmony with that regularly attended
by the parents, and such as the children are familiar with. It may be as informal
as the Salvation Army, or a greatly abridged form of the "Episcopal Service" can
be used. The Lord's Prayer may be repeated in unison, or sentence prayers used,
or a brief selection from; the Prayer Book. The .preaching by one of the children
should precede the reading of the Object sermon.
After carrying out the idea of the church service, the other ideas presented
may be introduced, and after the imaginary drive home some simple refreshments
can be served, as also mentioned in the chapter of "Suggestions to Parents" on
MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS: I want to speak to
you to-day about "Having a good conscience." (I Peter
iii: \ 6.) This is rather a hard subject, but I desire to make
it plain by the use of a familiar object. "What's this I
have in my hand ?" I rather expected that you would say an oyster;
but, really it is
nothing but an oyster shell. I suppose you have all
eaten stewed oysters, or oyster broth.
I remember, when
a little boy, that
one day when we
had stewed oysters
for supper, I found a little yellow something in my broth. I did not
know whether my mother had put it in purposely, or whether it had
fallen in by accident; whether I should push it aside of my plate,
that it might be thrown with the crumbs to the chickens, or whether
I should eat it to discover what it was.
I suppose you have all seen these little
animals in your soup, and know that they
are called crabs. Now, do you know how
the crab comes to be in with the oyster? I
will tell you how it is. The oyster lives in
the water at the bottom of the bay, and some bright day, when the
sun is shining down genial and warm, just the same as in the summer, we open the doors, and sit out on the porch to enjoy the cool
of the day; so the oyster opens his shells and lets the cool
currents of water move gently through his house. But while
[THE OYSTER AND THE CRAB. 29]
lying there with his shells wide open, along comes a great
hungry fish. He sees the oyster, but the oyster cannot see him.
The oyster cannot see, for he has no eyes. He cannot hear, for he
has no ears. Of the five senses which each of us have, hearing,
seeing, smelling, tasting and feeling, the oyster can only tell of the
presence of his enemy when he feels himself being dragged out of
his house, and being quickly swallowed by the fish. But his knowledge of what is happening only comes when it is too late.
Now, with the little crab, who also lives in the same neighborhood with the oyster. It is quite different. The crab has eyes, and
can see the hungry fish that comes to eat him up. He has legs, with
which to try and run away; but the fish can swim so much faster
than the little crab can run that he is sure to be devoured before the
race is half over. So what do you think the little crab does? He
crawls along quietly, and creeps into the shell with the oyster, and
the oyster and the crab enter into a kind of partnership for mutual
[30 THE OYSTER AND THE CRAB.]
protection. After this, when the oyster opens his shells, the little
crab uses his eyes very diligently to look around, and watch for the
approach of any fish. As soon as he spies any sly fish coming near,
he pinches the oyster, and immediately the oyster closes his shells
very tightly, and the oyster and the crab are both within, safely protected from the fish.
Now, boys and girls, we are something like the oyster. We
are constantly exposed to the danger of being destroyed by sin.
We cannot see sin, we cannot hear sin, we cannot perceive it by any
of our senses. So God has given us a conscience, which means "to
know with God." When you are tempted to do a sinful act, it is
conscience that quickly whispers, "Now that is wicked," "If you do
that, God will be displeased."
Let me illustrate this thought. One real pleasant day, when
the birds are singing, and everything is attractive out of doors,
Johnnie thinks how hard it is to be studying his lessons in what he
calls a prison of a school-room. He knows that papa and mamma
will not give him permission to stay at home; so a little before nine
o'clock, as he saunters towards the school, Satan suggests to him to
play "hookey," and when he comes to the corner of the street, looking back to be sure that no one sees him, he turns the comer to remain
out of school. Intending to come home at the regular time for dinner
and escape discovery. Just as soon as he turns the corner, and even
before that, conscience has seen the danger, and whispers
strong and clear, "Johnnie, this is wicked; you will surely get into
trouble, and you will make papa and mamma sad, and also displease God." Now, if Johnnie does not turn right back when conscience warns him, he is sure to go on without having any pleasure
all that forenoon, because his conscience continues to warn and
Or suppose that Willie goes down the street and sees Mr.
[32 THE OYSTER AND THE CRAB.]
Brown's dog a little ways off. He looks around quickly for a stone,
and immediately conscience says, "Now, Willie, don't hit the poor
dog, for the stone will cause him pain, just as it would if some one
were to hit you with a stone." But Willie does not listen to conscience. He throws the stone with all his might. It strikes on the
pavement, just by the side of the dog, glances and breaks in many
pieces the large plate glass in the window of the drug store.
Willie is more frightened than the dog, and without a moment's forethought he runs around the corner, to get out of sight.
And after concealing himself for a time in the alley, he steals
quietly Into the house at the back door. How he dreads to meet his
father and mother. Every time the door bell rings he thinks surely
that it is the druggist or the policeman. Oh! how this sin pains him;
just like the oyster would be hurt if he does not heed the little crab,
when he warns him that the fish Is coming to destroy him. If
Willie had only listened to conscience, what sin and trouble it
would have saved him. So, boys and girls, God has given each of
us a conscience, and if we want to be saved from sin and suffering,
we should always be quick to obey our conscience. Let each of us
try and "keep a good conscience."
QUESTIONS.-Can the oyster see or hear ? Can it feel ? What often destroys
the oyster? What lives down under the water near the oyster? Can the little
crab see ? Can he get away from the fish ? How does he assist the oyster ? How
does he warn the oyster of danger? Can boys or girls see sin? What has God
given each of us to warn us of danger when sin is near? Does every boy and
girl have a conscience? Does conscience always give warning? Do boys and
girls always obey their conscience? Should conscience always be obeyed? Will
you always try to obey conscience in the future ? The parent may ask additional
questions or make application in any other manner they deem best.
Next Sunday the sermon will be about the worm in the apple. Let one of
the children get a nice, large, perfect apple, and also another apple which has been
dwarfed and deformed because of a worm inside the apple. These will be the
objects which we shall use next Sunday.
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