Children and the Worship Service

"We cherish our worship time, so we include our little children in this treasured time with us."

And yet . . . our little ones squirm, talk and want to run around. Wouldn’t it be easier to send them to class? Probably. But we can train them to participate and the rewards for worshiping with our children far outweigh the difficulties. Their little hearts do rejoice as they sing about Jesus and they see all of us adoring Jesus too. We love Jesus together.

This training will yield fruit your child’s entire life. You are teaching your child self control and cheerful submission - qualities necessary to a rich life in Christ. Our little ones want to please Jesus, but as they grow older, the battle to please self rather than Christ will become intense. You are arming them with godly habits of mind and body to use in the battle against self. They will be readied to obey Christ and to bend their wills to His in the years to come.

So where to begin?  It takes work on the part of the parents and grace on the part of the congregation.  We will support you in this season of life starting with these practical tips.  We also have parenting books in our resource center in the foyer, occasional parenting classes, and our pastors and elders are available to encourage you.  We are in this with you!

PREPARING YOUR CHILD FOR WORSHIP

DURING THE WEEK

Pleasant behavior on Sunday mornings starts at home during the week.  It is rooted in lots of practice and repetition in the privacy of your home where you are free to explain and praise as you go.

Being Still = Being Kind

Teach your children that we go to church to learn about Jesus and to worship Him. We want to learn to sit quietly in church so that everyone around us can learn about Jesus and worship Him too.  Being still means being kind.

Sitting quietly is a skill your child can learn with regular practice. Here’s how:

• Sit your child in a chair. No talking, no squirming, stay in your seat.  You may look at a book.
• Set a timer equal to the same number of minutes as your child’s age.   A three year old can sit quietly for three minutes.  This is your goal and it will take a number of sessions to get there and it will take continued practice to develop into a habit.
• Praise progress.  Celebrate when you reach your goal!

Create a Church Bag

Include your child in creating a special church bag that has special items that are only used on Sundays in church.  Include a children’s picture Bible, Christ centered story books and a pencil and small notebook

Learn Worship Songs

Most of our worship songs are available for download or listening on the internet.  Find them and play them often.  Your little one will light up when he hears a song that he knows on Sunday morning!

SATURDAY NIGHT

You want to be as fresh and cheerful as possible for training your child during the service.  Do what you can to make your Sunday mornings run smoothly:

• Lay out clothes, find shoes and Bibles.
• Make sure you have food for breakfast.
• Go to bed at a reasonable time.

SUNDAY MORNING

BEFORE CHURCH

Dads, lead your family in getting out the door on time.  Here are some ideas:

• Ensure that the children are up and actually getting ready
• Be in charge of breakfast
• Make sure Mom has time alone to get ready
• Check that everyone has Bibles and has gone potty
• Start toward the car 5 minutes before you want to leave the driveway

IN THE CAR

Be excited that it is Sunday and that we are going to church!  Go over your church reminders.  Use the same words each week.  Repeat, repeat, repeat! 
Q: Why do we go to church?  A: To learn about Jesus and to worship Jesus!
Q:  What will you ask Jesus to help you do during church?  A:  Be kind by being still.
Q:  Why is it kind to be still?   A:  It lets other people worship Jesus.

IN CHURCH  (Finally!)

• Fully participate as a family - stand or sit with the congregation.
• Help your child find verses their Bible and follow along with your finger when the pastor is reading.
• Remember how long your little ones are capable of sitting still and bring out the church bag when they get restless.
• Do not allow them into the aisles or to stand on the seats.

ON CAMPUS

• Include your children in the fellowship time after the Service. When you make introductions, include your children.
• Teach your children to be conscience of the elderly which means no running.  Some of our older friends are not steady on their feet and it is frightening for them when children run. Make this a part of your “being kind” conversations at home.
• Remember . . . training your children to worship with us is not a onetime lesson. It is a process and you should expect good and bad Sundays - for a long time.  Do not grow weary in doing good, dear parents.  Standing before the throne of God together is worth the effort!