Should children be in the worship service?
My church is currently in the process of renovating our nursery ministry. One of the questions we’re wrestling with is the appropriate ages of children that the nursery should serve. (In a small church with limits both in terms of space and the number of volunteers, this issue becomes even more pressing!)
But really, that question is just the flip-side of the question “At what age should children start attending the regular worship service?” Every family and every church has their own expectations, and it’s important for us to be gracious with those who disagree, and with visitors whose children who may not be used to sitting in an odd setting for that long!
Jason Helopoulos has a great post on Kevin DeYoung’s blog detailing six reasons that children benefit from being in corporate worship:
- Our children are members of the covenant community.
- Our children will be present in the midst of the means of grace.
- Our children will be present in the midst of the entire congregation.
- Our children will be present with their parents.
- Our children will witness their parents worshipping.
- Our children will learn the rhythms of church life.
Clearly, Helopoulos is writing from a Presbyterian perspective, so I wouldn’t phrase his first two points in quite the same way as he does. Still, it’s a helpful discussion of the issues for both parents and church leaders.
March 06 2012 | Uncategorized | 1 Comment »