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| | Our team is re-evaluating how and when children transition out of children's church and into the adult worship services. At what age should children begin attending the entire worship service? a portion of the adult worship service? What feedback are you getting from your parents/children regarding children in adult worship? (What's working? What's not?) Lisa B from NC
Lisa B from NC |
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| | In the church I attend, 4th graders and up are in the Adult Service. Personally I think that is too young. I think it should be 7th graders and up. A 4th grader isn't going to comprehend something an Adult will. Kids need to be connecting with other kids their age and experience the Bible and what Jesus has to say. God Bless, Josh T. in Ohio
 Group's Crocodile Dock VBS 2009  June 15-19, 2009 |
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| | I don't know that I agree. I think around the age of 10 or so, they should be able to sit and listen long enough to stay in the service. I think there needs to be an ever growing spiritual maturity and that's a step that kids need to take. However, I do think that as churches we can do MUCH better about engaging the different generations in worship and being inclusive of all learning and worship styles. So music that speaks to children should be included (we try to include VBS songs in our worship sets, for instance) and allowing the children to serve and help in the worship service is important.
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| | I agree Peggy! If children are expected or invited to be in worship, then the worship team need to be inclusive as they plan. Incorporating worship songs that the children know, inviting children's choirs to sing, allowing youth to participate by reading scriptures, providing dramas, or playing instruments all help engage worshippers of all ages. We did not offer Children's Church (just Nursery) for our 5pm Christmas Eve service, so I was pleased that our worship team planned with that in mind. The prelude was an ensemble of youth playing a Manhiem Steamroller arrangement of Christmas carols and one of our college students sang "Breathe of Heaven". The Children's Message was about the shepherds. I talked about how the shepherds were the first to spread the good news that "Jesus Christ is Born". Then everyone (adults too) practiced being shepherds by sharing that good news with the people on our right and our left. More carols, a short homily, Holy Communion and Candlelight ceremony followed and the children I observed staying engaged in the worship activities. The 5 year old behind me was so engaged, he was asking his dad what & why questions about Holy Communion.
Lisa B from NC |
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| This might sound off the wall, but I was thinking wouldn't it be cool if we could offer booster seats for children in adult worship!  I was observing the younger children in worship today and noticed that one of their biggest challenges is that they sit so low in the pew they only have a partial view of what's going on up front. When we all stand to sing it's even worse! I tend to mentally check out, or become very distracted when I can't see over the heads of the people sitting in front of me at the movies or a play. Think how frustrating and distracting it must be for a child in adult worship! I've seen a few parents let their child sit up on their knees so the child had an unobstructed view and thought that was helpful. Wonder if booster seats were made available would children choose to use them?
Lisa B from NC |
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| Great idea, Lisa! I would ask parents if they have any of those red and blue ones that could just sit on the pews/chairs and start there! 
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| | Our leadership team is looking at doing some worship orientation cl for our 2nd graders to be offered a few weeks before they are promoted to 3rd grade cl and expected to staying for the entire worship. We will probably do this by providing special lessons so our Sunday School teachers can teach the lessons. We are thinking that if we provide special orientation and training, making being a full time participant of worship an important milestone event with a purpose, they will be more likely to accept worship time as a privilege and joy rather than something they have to silently endure. Along that same line, we want to provide orientation for the parents to equip them to continue the training at home and when in the pews. We also are considering worship orientation for our rising Kindergarteners. Our Kindergarteners begin attending the first 30 minutes of worship and leave after the Children's Message. Again, we want to mark the milestone of "going to big church" and prepare them so they understand what it means to worship in God's sanctuary.
Lisa B from NC |
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