Children In Worship: We definitely want your kids with us in worship!

By Rev.  Joel S. Eden
Devoted followers of Jesus love joining together on a regular basis to confess their sins and receive the forgiveness God freely gives us through faith in Jesus. We love to hear the word of God and sing hymns and songs together that glorify God and bring encouragement to our heavy hearts. We receive from God in these ways as well as through the body and blood of Jesus when we receive that tangible forgiveness directly from him. We definitely want your kids with us in worship!

"We definitely want your kids with us in worship!"

I know: kids can disrupt the peaceful flow of the service; they can cause us to get distracted during the pastor’s sermon; and they can draw our attention away from everything else that goes on up front. So can the bright light shining through a particular window in the sanctuary that lands in just the right (or wrong) place. So can the glitch in the audio/video system. So can the hearing aid of the person on the other side of the nave. So can the portable oxygen pump for the person a few rows back. And so can the thoughts that run through our minds about what to make for lunch, what has to get done before bed, and what a horrible week we had the previous week.

Where else would we want kids to be on Sunday morning or any time we gather together to receive from God our Father? Since we believe that we receive God’s forgiveness in worship, why wouldn’t we want kids with us to hear the exact same message of reconciliation and peace? Since we believe that hearing the word of God creates and builds faith, why wouldn’t we want kids with us to receive the very thing that gives us hope and joy on a daily basis? And since we believe that the church is a welcoming community for all believers, why wouldn’t we want to prove it to our kids by having them with us in worship?

Parents are the primary influencers of the faith of their children. We definitely want to support you in that role and particularly as you influence them in their worship habits and practices. Worship is communal as much as it is individual, and we want your children to be part of the community along with you. Worship is also inter-generational. God feeds each of us whether we are 9 months or 90 years old. We cherish this time together as young and old are served by Jesus, our king!

"We definitely want to support you in that role and particularly as you influence them in their worship habits and practices. "

Yes, there are times when it makes sense for you to take your child out of the sanctuary for disciplinary purposes or because of extensive disruptions, but on the other hand, I can learn how to forgive and be patient with your kid who is still learning these self-discipline skills. Why wouldn’t I welcome the opportunity to encourage you and your growing family to remain in worship and be part of this loving community of Christ-followers?

If you decide to bring your kids with you to worship, we’re going to “applaud” you and help you. You’re already making the hard decision to get your kids up. You are making the value of worship a priority in your family. We want to support you in making a decision that will have an impact on your children’s lives forever—literally! We want you to know that we care more about your kids being in worship with you and with us so that they can hear about Jesus than the occasional distractions that might come with that. We definitely want your kids with us in worship!

"We want to support you in making a decision that will have an impact on your children’s lives forever—literally!"