China Evangelical Seminary North America
Welcome Children Program
~Intergenerational Ministry~
(WCP)
Ministry Introduction
Welcome children into corporate worship and prayer
Welcome Children Program (WCP)
Vision
Welcoming Children — Building a holistic intergenerational ministry that nurtures the next generation with authentic and vibrant faith.
Mission
To help North American churches integrate children into the full life of the church’s faith community.
This project is funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. under the Nurturing Children through Worship and Prayer Initiative, and focuses on developing resources and models to help churches cultivate children's spiritual lives through worship and prayer.
Where Will Your Church's Children Be Two "7-Year" Periods from Now?
Fourteen years from now, the newborn babies in your church will be entering their teenage years. The 11- or 12-year-olds in upper elementary school today will be young adults in their mid-twenties.
Will they carry on the faith of the previous generation and become the next torchbearers? Or will they walk away from the church—perhaps even from the faith itself?
Challenge
Research over the past few decades shows that many children who grow up in the church leave after middle school—some even abandoning their faith entirely. One key reason is the disconnect between faith and daily life, which prevents the gospel from truly taking root in their hearts.
Mindset
If we continue to believe that next-generation ministry is unimportant, or important but not urgent—or if we acknowledge its importance and urgency yet fail to lead with biblically grounded and developmentally sound approaches—then this next generation, already facing unprecedented challenges in the digital age, will likely follow the same path of mass exodus from the church.
Reflection
Today, many churches rely on age-segmented ministry models, which often unintentionally widen the gap between children and the life of the church as a whole. While age-specific education has its value and purpose, the painful reality of losing a generation of believers calls us back to Scripture.
We must reexamine the true nature of faith formation and ask: What is God’s heart for children?
This question is key to helping them integrate faith with everyday life.
Core Values
Household of God
Personal identity is established in a household (Gen 19:12；Josh 24:15）
Covenantal Relationship
Child-like Spirituality
God’s covenant grace and faithfulness is passed down through households
（Gen 6:18；22:17-18）
Jesus wants us to learn to be like children and rely on him (Matt 18:2-5; Lk 10:21)
Welcoming Attitude
Jesus wants us to show hospitality and care towards the least（Mk 9:37；Lk 9:50）
Spiritual Formation in the Intergenerational Community
Personal spiritual formation happens as part of the intergenerational spiritual formation of the faith community. （Eph 4:15-16）
Ministry Design- Experiential Chinese American Church (ECAC)
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Each cycle will select 4–5 “Experiential Chinese American Church” to form an intergenerational leadership team (pastors and coworkers). The goal is to encourage the entire congregation to intentionally welcome and integrate children into the church family, becoming a church that embraces children as Jesus did.
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Selected churches must have designated pastors and coworkers who will actively participate in the training. Through a combination of theological foundations and practical experiences, the program aims to cultivate leaders well-equipped for intergenerational legacy ministry.
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Commitment period: 2.5 years
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Registration fee: $1,000 per church
Resources and Support Available to ECAC:
『Experiential Intergenerational Gatherings』
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Intergenerational retreats for pastors and ministry team families
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Intergenerational worship/ Live demonstrations of intergenerational worship and small group models within church settings
『Consultation』
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Self-assessment tools for ECAC
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Customized solutions and guidance from the WCP team, based on assessment results
『Training』
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Foundational Intergenerational Education Courses for pastors and ministry coworkers
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*Graduate degree (in development), diploma, or extension certificate in Intergenerational Legacy Ministry for intergenerational pastors, ministers, and coworkers (partial tuition subsidies available)
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Practical Fellowship for Intergenerational Children’s Ministry
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*Relevant seminars and lectures
*These courses and seminars are also open to individuals from non-ECAC churches.
『Resources Provided』
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Materials and models related to:
Worship, prayer, multisensory teaching, intergenerational fellowship, family worship, parent-child devotions, and intergenerational missions
WCP Intergenerational (IG)
Ministry Training Courses
The characteristic of this series of training courses is that in addition to theory, it will pay special attention to "experiential learning". The purpose is to enable students to put what they have learned into practice in the church and family through the cycle of “implementation-exploration-reflection”. This series of courses is designed to help students design plans specifically for their churches and deliberately cultivate a mindset of integrating children into the overall worship and prayer of the church. At the same time, WCP teachers and pastors will also accompany students along the way, discuss with each other, and think about and solve possible difficulties together.
There are three levels
of training courses:：
(Application procedures are required)
1. TEE (8 courses): suitable for parents, children and youth ministry teachers, assistants, and counselors
2. Diploma (10 courses): Suitable for children and youth ministry directors. All credits can be transferred to master's degree
3. Master's Degree: (Under planning) is suitable for those who called to be intergenerational ministers
The curriculum emphasizes both lectures and internship:
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Classes (Zoom): listening to lectures, discussions, reading, and homework
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Internship: Interning to establish an IG ministry in a designated church or the local church that the student attending.
Course content:
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Understand the biblical and theological foundations of IG ministry.
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Understand children's physical and mental development, and their implication in nurturing children's spirituality.
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Establish churches for intergenerational training and children and youth ministry.
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Promote intergenerational relationships, family worship, parent-child discipleship, and cultivate children’s faith in life.
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Help accommodate children and families with special needs.
Testimonies
《Intergenerational Family Retreat》
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Through the life-learning experiences during the retreat, I came to understand the challenges involved in intergenerational faith transmission as a Christian. I also learned practical ways to address these issues, and it greatly strengthened my relationship with my child. It was truly beneficial.
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The retreat deepened the relationship within our family and also between our family and God. It helped our child grow closer to God and mature spiritually in Him.
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We absolutely loved it. Thank you to all the staff for the thoughtful arrangements. Every gathering was creative and engaging, and the worship music truly helped our whole family participate wholeheartedly.
《Course: Covenant Parenting – The Biblical Family》
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I learned a lot, and some of the concepts really challenged me. I now have a clearer understanding of the covenant, and the reflection assignments from the instructor helped me think more deeply.
《Course: Building Educational and Training Ministries in God's Household》
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I loved this course—it was very helpful for me personally and even more so for my ministry.
《Course: Worship in the Bible》
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This was an excellent course, and the instructor was amazing. The content will be very practical and applicable in my future pastoral ministry.
《Course: Real Children, Real Transformation – Spiritual and Character Formation in Children》
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I feel like I encountered this course too late—it should be required pre-service training for every parent! It beautifully combines theory with practical application. I hope more church coworkers will take part in this training.
Our Team
Contact Us
Ministry Director
Dr. Shaw-Jing Chao
shawjchao@cesna.edu
626-917-9482 ext.271
Ministry Administration
Mimi Hu
mimihu@cesca.edu
626-917-9482 ext.272
China Evangelical Seminary
North America
1520 W. Cameron Ave., Suite 275
West Covina, CA 91790
Tel: 626-917-9482