St. James Episcopal Church offers three services on Ash Wednesday, but few children attend.

So this year for the first time the church, at 119 N. Duke St., will offer a 30-minute, kid-friendly Ash Wednesday service at 4:30 p.m.

"Receiving the ashes and hearing the powerful words, 'ashes to ashes, dust to dust,' is too important to miss," said the Rev. David Peck, rector.

Emily Killough, minister for children, youth and families, will lead the service marking the beginning of Lent, 40 days of prayer and fasting to prepare for Easter on April 8.

Peck will perform the imposition of ashes, a sign of mourning and repentance to God, at the close of the service in the chancel. Children will sit on a carpet in front of a low table, with adults in chairs to the sides.

"Parents and grandparents will be in the background," Peck said. "The children will be central."

Killough, 26, joined St. James' staff in 2009, with the challenge to try out new ideas.

"We have fun things for children before and after Lent," she said, noting a Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper at 5:30 tonight. "But nothing during Lent."

As she has worked with the children at the church, she said, she has come to realize that they "are capable of great depth in faith."

"And the Bible says to enter the kingdom of God, we have to be like children," she said.

Killough said she expects 15 to 30 children will attend the service.

"I hope they will then go home for dinner with their families, having experienced something holy and meaningful together."

Killough said the service will explain the holy mystery of Ash Wednesday to  the children and invite them to draw closer to God.

"The ashes will mark the location of suffering, brokenness, sin and death," she said.

"It's heavy for kids," Peck said. "But most kids will experience a grandparent dying … bullying or being scared. This is an important way to say, 'God will draw near to us then, not just for happy occasions.'"

The service will feature the elements of water and oil as well as ashes.

"The water brings us into God's family," Killough said. "It reminds us of the hope of being part of that."

Last week, "Children's Chapel," which meets during Sunday worship,  focused on Jesus healing Simon Peter's mother with holy oil.

"(The oil) reminds us that God is always near," she said.

In the service, Killough also will talk to the children about the seasons of the church.

"Lent is sacred," she said. "That's why we don't sing Alleluias then."

But the service will include music, including "Put Peace in Each Other's Hands."

"We'll weave in a couple of songs that the kids know, songs about sadness and hope, accompanied by the piano, not the organ," Killoug said. "It will all be on the kids' level.

"I hope it will be meaningful and profound for them and that it speaks deeply to the adults, too," she said.

Killough is the daughter of Steve and Nan Killough, of Lancaster Township.

A 2004 graduate of Lancaster Country Day School, she received a bachelor of science degree in psychology from Davidson (N.C.) College in 2008 and worked at the college for a year.

She met Peck after a Sunday service while visited her parents.

"We started talking," she said. "We hit it off. Later, he invited me to consider coming back and trying out a new position he was creating."

Killough has taken "Children's Chapel" to a new level.

"It's a worship experience, not just baby-sitting," she said. "We follow what the church does. We reflect on the lesson of the day, with a song based on the liturgical season."

During Epiphany, they sang "This Little Light of Mine."

"Usually, when I participate with kids, it touches me, and I'm surprised by their depth of faith and what they bring to the table."