Children and Worship

In Matthew 18 Jesus astonished those standing around him when he took a child and said to the people if you want to become great you have to become like a child. There is at least one instance in the Jesus' life when he rebukes his disciples for not allowing children to come to him. It is in the that episode that he says, "Suffer the little children to come unto me." In contemporary English that means, "Let the children come to me." Those are good words for church leaders to hear. Let the children come to Jesus.

In our church we have activities, bible studies and worship experiences planned for children during the "Big Church" service. Our workers do a wonderful job of communicating the truths of the Scripture to the children in their own language and in meaningful ways so that the children experience God in a world that is friendly to them. There is something to be said for bringing children into the "Big Church" service, too. One of things that has troubled me for the last few years is the fact that compartmentalize the church into age groups and keep the groups separated from one another during their whole worship experience. Often we speak of Children's Church, the Youth Service, the Seniors' Class, etc...

At some point we have to realize (and then plan accordingly) that the church is made up of children, youth, adults, seniors etc... These individual groups are not churches unto themselves and neither are they factions within one church, but they are one and we are the church. Titus 2 has some amazing insight into inter-generational aspects about church; but, back to the children. I realize that some small children cause disturbances in church and I also realize that some older children (and even grown-ups) create disturbances in church. If we introduce our children to the "Big Church" at an early age, I can only see positive results for them and the church. I once heard an old preacher say this: The crying of the children isn't nearly as bothersome to me as the snoring of the saints!" What do you think?