RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

I recently read an article by a well-known author where he addressed the question, "Should Children Sit Through Big Church?"  His opinion was they should.

This has been a controversial topic in children's ministry over the years with both sides making valid points.  I fall on the side of kids having their own age-appropriate worship.  You can read why in this article.  I believe this verse sums up why kids should be in age-appropriate environments at church.

"I was GLAD when they said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord."  Psalm 122:1

Here's the bottom line...kids should ENJOY church...not ENDURE church.  While the author makes some valid points, most of what he describes is something a child would have to endure...not enjoy.  There are a few places kids have to be made to go...school...the dentist...the doctor's office...shopping...and what the pastor describes in his article.  There's a picture of a child in the article and she even looks miserable.

Church shouldn't be one of the places that a child has to be made to go.  It should be a place that a child can't wait to get to....the best hour of their week.  This past weekend at church, a father came up to me and asked for help...he said his daughter didn't want to leave...she was having such a great time that she didn't want to leave her classroom.  We laughed together...and then rejoiced that she enjoyed being at church that much.  Another child told his parents last weekend at church, "This is better than Christmas."

When a child enjoys being at church, it not only impacts the child, but the entire family.  Another story from this past weekend.  A father stepped across the line of faith and entered a relationship with Jesus.  Why?  Because his daughter came to church and had such a great experience that God used it to reach the father as well.  This story could be told a 1000 times over.

When kids endure church their parents have to drag them to church.
When kids enjoy church they drag their parents to church.

When kids endure church they leave with frowns on their face.
When kids enjoy church they leave with smiles on their face.

When kids endure church they drop out as soon as they can.
When kids enjoy church they stay in church through their adult years.

When kids endure church they get nothing out of it.
When kids enjoy church they are impacted by God's Word.

When kids endure church they think Christianity is irrelevant to their life.
When kids enjoy church they discover how to apply God's Word to their life.

When kids endure church they think the Christian life is boring.
When kids enjoy church they discover the Christian life is an adventure.

When kids endure church they have discipline problems that arise from being forced to act like an adult.
When kids enjoy church they are allowed to be kids.

When kids endure church they daydream through services.
When kids endure church they are engaged with God's Word.

When kids endure church they can't wait until church ends.
When kids enjoy church they can't wait for church to start.

When kids endure church they fake being sick so they can skip.
When kids enjoy church you can't keep them away.

When kids endure church parents end up enduring church.
When kids enjoy church parents enjoy church.

How about it?  Do kids enjoy your church or endure your church?  That's a question worth pondering.