C A R L B. G A R N E R

ARE YOUR KIDS READY FOR 'CHURCH'?

In the late '60s and early '70s, the "bus ministry" became the latest fad in the church. It lasted for a few years, then went the way of most fads. Some good things came from that effort, but there were also some results that were not so good. One of these came as a result of the behavior of children who had not been taught reverence for God and worship. Often the solution was to establish a special assembly for all the children so they would not disturb the adults and their worship. Some called it Children's Church, and others called it Children's Bible Hour, but what it really did was to separate children from their parents.

In last week's Austin American-Statesman, the media discussed the dilemma of parents who wanted to worship, but who had children who could not sit still for an hour or so. What to do? Nursery attendants were hired by some. Volunteers took turns caring for others' children. But many children and parents just did not like being separated from each other. What, then, should we do?

According to the article, parents began to look for ways to entertain their children during worship. They brought games. They brought food. They brought coloring books. But many were uneasy about the real possibility of a child disrupting the thoughts of others. Still, what to do?

Comments were quoted, including: "You don't want the complexity of trying to be reverent and disciplining your children at the same time." The"let-somebody-else-keep-them-quiet" attitude was found in some, but many parents are now determined to bring their children to the assembly and keep them with them. Some denominational leaders were quoted as saying "the adult service is not geared to children." Maybe the key is for us to "gear" the children to the assembly by way of instruction.

Some adults object to children in the assembly because they are a disturbance, preventing adults from "getting anything out of the service." But some parents are not buying that, and neither do I. Some responsibility rests on us who are older not to be so easily "disturbed." Our children and grandchildren need to be present with us in our worship assemblies. Do some adults spend more time playing with their children, or even the infant in the pew in front of them, than in listening to the sermon or in singing or prayer? Unfortunately there are some like that. Are children sometimes a distraction? Of course they are, but that is also true at the store, a football game or a restaurant.

Mothers often apologize for the "racket" their children make, asking me if I am distracted by it. No, most of the time I do not even notice it. But even if I did, our children still need to learn to sit and be reverent in the presence of God. Who else is going to teach them? Is it easy to do? Perhaps not, but what else is easy in rearing children these days? They need to sit near Mother and Father and hear us sing, see us bow our heads in prayer and read our Bibles. They need to see that we have respect for God and His time of worship. They need to watch us as we listen attentively to the Bible as it is read and preached.They need to see us follow the preacher with our own Bibles. Those images will remain in their memory a long time.

Parents, would you consider the following suggestions?
1. Talk to your children (even little ones) about worship, and what it is, and why you go to the church building. They need to hear from you that you want to go and that worship is important to you.
2. Take care not to leave the wrong impression that you go only because you "have to." That kind of impression will linger a long time.
3. Impress upon them the purpose of the assembly, to praise, honor and worship God, thanking Him for His abundant blessings.
4. Make sure they are prepared for Bible class. Talk about the material discussed in their class the previous week. This is valuable time.
5. Make it a point to let them get acquainted with other children their age. When they are old enough, invite their friends over socially.
6. Give them their own Bible and insist that they treat it with respect.
7. Make sure their bathroom trips and drinks of water are attended to before worship begins.
8. When little ones get fussy and are distracting others, take them to the "training room" for instruction. Then bring them back so they will have no motivation to misbehave.
9. If you have an infant, find a place near the back of the auditorium so you can take care of the previous suggestion without undue distraction.
10. Encourage older children to take notes, or list the times the words Bible, God, etc. are used. This provides something by which their attention can be maintained.

Will these suggestions take time? Yes, they will. Will they sometimes be met with resistance? Probably. Will they all work? Instantly? No, probably not. But eventually they will work if you and they work at it. Besides, aren't our children worth it? Isn't their spiritual welfare important enough to take the needed time? If you fail to do so now, it is possible they will lose interest, refuse to go to worship, later make excuses for their negligence as adults, and finally abandon the faith.

That is too high a price to pay for your neglect now. "Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven," Matthew 19:14. Children are our most precious heritage.

Take the time to train your children!