Rules for Children in Worship
Taking kids into the assembly can be a very daunting experience. With children now ages 18, 15 and 12, we have done our share of time in the pew. I should mention that the entire burden has been mostly upon my wife and that she gets all the credit for raising three children who (mostly) pay attention and engage andriol in worshiping God. I am thankful for her diligent work with our kids.
This article is meant to encourage young families who have children who may be grade school age and younger. First, please know that we are so thankful for you and your families. Know that we support you and we are inspired by your desire to lead your children in the Lord. Every time we see you at worship you are a blessing to us. Every noise that is made by your children or any distraction they may cause is only part of child-rearing, and these moments remind us that the church has a future and a hope! So hang in there and keep on coming!
Now, here are a few suggestions for those of you with younger children in the assembly:
- If your children are old enough to read, they are old enough to engage in worship. While they will not partake of the Lord’s Supper, they can read a passage about it. They can sing the songs on powerpoint or in the songbooks. They can follow the outlines given out by the preacher. Remind them that just like they learn in school and don’t play games during class, that worship is a time to focus on spiritual things. You will be amazed at the spiritual growth that can be developed in your children if you challenge them to worship.
- Teach your children that worship is the greatest privilege afforded to the Christian. When the church comes together on the first day of the week, the worship offered in that assembly will be the greatest thing any person there assembled partakes in all week. Worshiping the Lord is a greater honor than winning the state championship game. It is a greater honor than a high test score or some other scholastic achievement. It is a greater honor than any fame or fortune that may come to us. If we truly believe this we will want to be at every assembly and our children will be faithful to worship long after our time on earth has ended.
- Make sure your children understand that worship is serious business. My parents did not allow us to talk in church or pass notes. They made us use the restroom in between class and worship time. They taught us that we worshiped God according to the Bible and that any offering to God that he did not authorize was forbidden. Can your kids get up and use the restroom in the middle of the service? Well if they need to they absolutely should! But why not advise them to make preparations beforehand? Do you think a time will come when your children decide they want to be a part of a church that worships differently than the way they have always known? If so, it will likely be because we did not teach them to respect Biblical authority in all areas regarding spiritual matters. We can teach them now that worship is a matter of salvation and hopefully they will stay faithful in what they practice.
- Find some balance between when to leave them in the assembly and when to take them to the nursery. Children are smart and they understand that throwing a fit means they get to be let out of their perceived prison. Sometimes we need to fight back a little bit in the pew and not let them go out as soon as they make a sound. But other times when our children are being disruptive and they do not respond to our discipline in the pew they need to be removed. Try to have a timetable and a decibel level in your head about when it is time to go. And what you take them out to do is key. I was spanked on a regular basis when being taken out of the assembly. If I was taken out it was not going to be playtime in the nursery. My mother was teaching me to behave in worship. I NEVER left to play. It was to receive discipline until I learned to behave. Sometimes I was taken out more than once and I can just tell you it was not a good day for me on those occasions. So parents – do whatever you need to do – we are on your team!!!
Once more, parents, we love you and we are praying for you! Thank you for blessing the assembly with the precious faces that God loves – the faces of your children. With your efforts, God is well pleased.
“That the generation to come might know them, the children who would be born, that they may arise and declare them to their children, that they may set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments.” (Psalm 78:6-7)
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AUTHOR: Jeremiah Tatum
