Including children in worship and communion. My General Assembly speech

Moderator - Rev Sarah Ross, 338, minister, wife and mother of two - Kieran and Jessica, 9&7. I want to comment on 10 (of Mission and Discipleship) because I think we need to do more about the discipleship of children.  We know from the Ministries Council that the call to God's service is often heard in the teenage years. I was 14 at the time that I heard mine. However, Moderator I was at that time in the Salvation Army.  And with them I got to do everything including taking a full service. I sang badly, prayed public ally, read scripture and uplifted the offering in regular Sunday's. I went to church three times a day plus open airs and midweek clubs. I returned to the CofS at university and was struck by the 15 minute church time given to. Children. And the fact they weren't even allowed in church worship on Communion Sunday. The minister of the day heard my plea to at least let the children watch Communion.  The reason I asked was because the Salvation Army don't celebrate communion.  My first communion was at the age of 20 and it was terrifying (heart out of the chest). I don't want any child to feel that. Plus when I went forward for ministry I was informed I couldn't because I had no real understanding of sacraments nor were they sure I'd cope with Presbyterian governance.  (They may have been right about that) 

Moderator - how will our children have faith if we persist in excluding them.  I even have a question for children during baptism.  But why I am standing here is to say that the statistic recorded in the council of assembly supplementary report re the number of children at communion broke my heart. Off 54579 children only 3090 participated in communion. 30 years or so after the General Assembly agreed to children at communion is 5.7% of children acceptable? Or will we be told that 51,000 are babies? ;) 

As a young person said earlier this week the young are not the church of the future they are the church of now. 

Finally, my daughter turned 7 on Sunday 22nd May and she wanted to go to church.  And her brother thought communion on her birthday was the best gift the church could give.  Please fully disciple your children before they leave malnourished in faith.