Practical Pastoring: Children in the Church - Book Four

Be gracious with parents and children who attend the Sunday worship service. There are times when a child may fuss or cry and the mother becomes upset. My wife and I encourage the mother. It is OK for a child to act like a child. We are glad that the entire family is in church.

Sometimes a parent may decide to take the crying child outside for a few minutes or back to the Sunday school area of the church. Keep in mind, it is good to have children in church. They are the future of the church.

I remember when my first child was born. There was a profound realization that God had trusted us with a new baby to raise so that he could serve Jesus. I was responsible for the spiritual care of my son. Karrie and I were also responsible for all of the other areas of his life. We dedicated each of our children to God while they were yet to be delivered.

Proverbs encourages us that there may be a mess on the floor because of the strength of the ox. Children will make messes in church. Get over it. Adults make messes in church as well and their messes are more difficult to clean up. If you want the perfect looking building then perhaps you should bar the door. I am joking. Jesus is more concerned with the people in the building than the actual building.

Work with the elders to obtain the mind of the Lord as to what the church should provide for the children. We have had a youth group, a nursery, and a Sunday school at different times in the life of the church.

Following lengthy discussion, we decided to encourage the younger teens to help with Sunday school. We wanted the teens to hear the sermon, but we also wanted them to have the experience of teaching and serving others. This format continues to be a work in progress. At times the teens stay in the sanctuary for the message. Other times, they team teach the Sunday school children.

There is not a definitive answer as to how to incorporate children into the life of the church. When older boys become teenagers, we have had them help serve communion. We have also had them read the scriptures before I preach.

On more than one occasion two of our children have helped vacuum the church after the service. One girl has helped address envelopes for the messages that we mail out each week. Service is a large part of the Christian life. Explore ways to involve the children and the youth of your church in ministry opportunities.

Encourage children to develop a relationship with Jesus. I will bring the Sunday school children to the front of the church, conducting an entire sermon for them. At times I will read a story and interact with the children. You can immediately tell which children have been exposed to Jesus and the Bible. The honesty and pure hearts of some children is remarkable.

There are other children who may attend church who have no background in church or God and His ways. Our church adopted a Sunday school curriculum following an elder review of the available materials. We discussed what our eldership wanted for our youth. Working with our Sunday school program, we provide teachers that structure and materials to teach the children.

Children have also played a part in the Christmas program and the worship team. We have not always been able to have a Christmas program. Some years when enough children in the congregation are available they present a Christmas pageant under the guidance of the worship leader and Sunday-School teacher.

I don’t know how churches involved children in church when Jesus walked on this earth. He wanted the children to come to him; He instructed us to become like children.

Trust God to show you and your elders how to incorporate the children and the youth of your church into the life of the body of believers. Perhaps one of the children in your church will one day take your place as the pastor. Believe that God will use your church to produce and develop future elders, servants, and worshipers of the King.

Kevin Barsotti

Ark Church

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This article is part of Practical Pastoring: Mentoring Growth Letters from a Senior Pastor to a New Pastor, Book Four. The author responds to his pastor’s letters to him from twenty years ago when he began his pastoral journey.