Why we keep kids in service once a month
The first Sunday of each month we have kept our Big’s class (elementary age students) in for the entire service, and starting this Sunday we will keep our Little’s class (toddler age) in also. This can be, and typically is, a more “noisy” service. The reality of it is that kids don’t quite have the attention span to sit down for an hour straight for singing, preaching, and one final song before being sent back onto the ‘Mission Field’. I would like to, however, challenge the thinking that our kids can neither sit that long nor do they get anything out of service, as well as explain the true benefits of having them in service, even if it’s only once a month.
Your Child Can Hang for an Hour
I believe our children can in fact sit in service for an hour. Two years ago, my wife and I sent our oldest off to school for her first day of Kindergarten. This was a drastic change for us… but even more so for her. She now had to sit down and focus for specific time intervals on a subject from roughly 9am to 3pm. That’s practically a work day! I’d be lying if I said I’d rather do that than to do my real job.
Despite the concern for her focus for six-ish hours, her teacher then and her teacher now report to us a great focus from her on the work at hand. Not only that, but consider the numerous activities in our lives. Our weeks are full of the things we love, and the things we love are accompanied by our devout focus/attention. My point here will be simple… our kids will value the things we value.
The reality we must face here is that for many of us, church is a one day thing. This is the day our children experience God and it is boring. Not boring as in it’s not fun (not that it needs to be or should be filled with activities to entertain), but rather, it’s not familiar. The more we saturate their lives in biblical obedience and community outside of the building, the more familiar they’ll be with the things pertaining to the Lord’s Day. So let this both convict and encourage all of us parents to more intentionally engage our children with the Gospel every day, both in word and deed.
Your Child Can Learn in Service
We often deem children incapable of learning from a Sunday morning, because it’s too over their heads. Don’t be so hard on the kids! Sometimes I believe they understand more than us!
Our family was recently driving through town (probably another Target run!) when my wife and I heard our daughters both singing along to a rap song (fret not! It was family friendly). We were both so impressed that they’d picked up on the lyrics, both memorizing the words, but our 8 year old also connecting to those lyrics to life. I know we aren’t the only ones to witness lyrical memorization and familiarization. If they can do it with songs, they SHOULD do it with the bride of Christ.
Do I expect the kids to pick up on everything during the sermon? No. But I don’t expect that of anyone as I don’t expect myself to pick up on every detail when I hear sermons either.
Our children are learning and I believe we should charge them to learn this Holy Word of God in the Holy Assembly of God’s people.
The Benefits
They’re experiencing something supernatural that cannot be replicated outside of the gathering of God’s people. Read Romans 12:3-8 to see the importance and necessity of each person’s contribution to the Body of Christ.
They’re learning. I won’t continue to harp on this, but it’s important for us to acknowledge that our children are sponges. Even if you don’t have kids or your kids are older and grown, this is something we should get behind because the kids are learning from the Scripture, and they’re also learning from you as they look around during the service.
They’re witnessing. Kids witness God’s people devoted to the things of God when we incorporate them into the service. This is good as it serves both the kids and the adults. When we remember that their little eyes are watching, we are reminded that we ought to be setting the example. Remain engaged in the service, not just the sermon. Follow along during the gathering, not just the songs.
I do my best to engage the kids throughout, so please understand the purpose and intentionality behind ‘Family Sundays’. Also, remember that the kids are in fact soaking it all in, and that, Church, glorifies our Lord in Heaven.