Children play an incredibly important part in the church body! The Bible is clear that children were important to Jesus and should be to us as well. They can worship, pray, and be used in the gifts of the Spirit just as an adult can. It is important that we see them as an integral part of the body of Christ and not an interruption. Much of the spiritual framework that a child will carry into adult life is cemented by the age of 13! (George Barna) What a short time-frame to mold, model, and mentor their young lives. Investing in the spiritual lives of your children takes time, energy, and sacrifice. It will, however, pay great dividends if we don’t lose sight of the prize!
Here at Living Hope Church, we are committed to supporting you and your family as you journey closer to the heart of God during worship and the Word each week. Following are a few tips or suggestions that we hope you find useful as you commit yourself to molding your child into the awesome man or woman that God destined them to be! Believe in His power to enable you to carry out that task!
How to teach about Worship
At Living Hope Church, we believe that children should be included in the worship services. Realize, however, that we cannot “force” worship but must demonstrate a picture of worship to our kids. Encourage your child (age-appropriate) to stand, clap, and sing before the Lord. Make it a practice to pray together before you leave for church. Pray that each child will be filled with a heart for worship. Then, lead them! Worship should not be about drawing attention to themselves but for honoring our Lord. Lead them through the transitions from joyful, exuberant dance to the quiet, reflective times of worship. We are a church that expresses worship in many ways. When you are excited about worship, they will be excited!
What about behavior issues?
Church can be a frustrating time for any parent struggling with inappropriate behavior in a child. Here are a few tips:
Recognize a child who is too young to be expected to sit quietly in church and appreciate the services of the nursery! (usually between 9 months-2 1/2 years)
Expect that there will be a training period of up to 3 months, but the payoff is awesome! During that time, sit near the back so you can enter and exit quickly, if needed. When behavior is inappropriate, quickly and confidently, remove the child and take them to a quiet place to deal with their behavior. Warning a child over and over only tells them that they can push the boundaries until you’re REALLY serious.
Nurture yourself spiritually during the week during this
training phase to avoid self-pity and resentment towards your child. It will not be forever!
Pray! Pray before, during, and after services for strength to do what is best for your child.
If you have multiple children, consider training them one at a time, if possible. The time to train the toddler may not be until the 6 year old has sufficiently learned appropriate behavior! Don’t let them gang up on you!
If you have a spouse with you, prearrange who will be responsible and alternate each week. Be consistent! Mom’s boundaries should be the same as Dad’s and vice versa.
For older children, communicate expectations and consequences with them BEFORE you enter the service. It’s unfair to expect something they’ve never learned.
Need extra arms? Look around for one of your Kidz Ministry team workers to help out during the service. We’re on your team!
