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	April 2003
		A Quick Word by Paul Grayston
			'It's not easy travelling so far with little ones!' So said the sympathetic young lady in the blue airline uniform at a departure gate somewhere between Launceston and Manchester at 2:30am (or possibly pm) our time. What on earth gave her the impression that we were not finding it easy? Was it Child A tangled round-and-round my legs with his safety reins; or the hand luggage falling off the trolley; or Child B's soggy air-sick bag? Was it the major chocolate-milk stain on my shirt? Not so easy travelling with children; but made easier by a kind word from the lady in the blue uniform. Made easier by the airline's special children's meals, toys, video programmes, cute toy Dalmatians with huge smiles and floppy ears, and packets of Lego blocks to scatter under the seat in front. No flaps Nor is it easy travelling with little ones in our churches. It can be noisy and messy and we might have to change some of what we do and even move some furniture around. We might need a children's corner and accessible all-age worship and songs children can understand and enjoy. (Are they not full members of our congregation too?) We might need to replace the toys with the missing bits and the flap books with no flaps left - those relics someone donated in 1950. (Would an airline offer you broken or dirty toys?). Access We might need change tables, access ramps, snacks, spare nappies, activity bags, gifts and stickers. We might need to get ourselves trained and do the Safe Ministry thing. We might need to make an effort. Most of all it is the simplest things: a welcoming smile and kind word (rather than a frown or a 'tut-tut'); watching the toddler while Mum has a cup of tea after church; learning and using children's names. Yes, we can make a huge difference to children and parents in very simple ways. The lady in the blue uniform had the right idea. Very nice window The Church we are attached to in England for the next 10 weeks has a large stained glass window by the main entrance. I've seen similar ones in many churches in Tasmania. Jesus sitting among a group of children: 'Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such as these belongs the Kingdom of Heaven.' Very nice window. The real children however are very few. May our churches be good places for those travelling with little ones. May we take to heart the example of Jesus and of the lady in the blue uniform. Paul Grayston is on a parish exchange in Sheffield in England until the end of May and will continue his column from there. graystonp@southcom.com.au