Where We Be, Part II

This might be a series of posts, because I don't think all my feelings on it can fit into one post.

Piggybacking on the last part of this series, why do we have children's church again?

Before you answer that semi-rhetorical question, let me give you a little background on my wife and I: we both have worked to some extent in children's church ministry for probably a combined 10 years or more (depending on my wife's time working in it).  And that ranges from just showing up on Sundays to help in nursery or actual kid's church to running the children's church service or outreach.  We have interned twice in a children's ministry, once at a mega-church with a very large attendance to a medium-sized church with a decent amount of kids.  We've used purchased curriculum and we've made up our own.  Ok, I could keep going, and I think you get the point: we know a considerable amount about children's church.

So when I ask, why do we have children's church, please understand that I do not ask it flippantly.

A very good friend of ours that we have worked extensively with in children's church has often said that children's ministry should have a lot more parental involvement.  He has often shared his vision of having a children's church that had more parents taking the wheel of their child's spiritual development, rather than giving that duty to someone else.  I think it is safe to say, that for him, he would probably do away with a separate kid's church and just have everyone together for church service.

He is more of a realist than we are, I think, and is working within the entrenched system of parents dropping off kids and going to worship alone.

So that makes me question the whole idea of it.  What is the real reason for children's church?

I guess I should also define it, sorry:  the children's church I speak of is where you would show up to church a little early, take your kids (whatever age) to a children's area and drop them off in a nursery, toddler room, or big kid's area where they will have a service that is designed for their developmental level (meaning a lot of games and fast worship songs, etc.).  Then you go to adult service and then come back, pick them up, and hopefully talk about what they learned.

Typing that out makes me doubt that my wife and I are doing things right, because it sounds perfectly reasonable to do that, right?  I mean, what kind of nut am I that I would want to change that?  It gives kids the opportunity to learn something (at least at the toddler plus levels) about the Bible and get some energy out in the process.  And you get to enjoy a service without having to reign in a wandering child.

I don't know.  I might be talking nonsense.  But, if you will allow me some nonsense, we should take a small detour and explore this a little.  I think I'll take a break here and come back with some more quandaries in the next installment of this series.  I don't think this will be a daily thing, but check back and I'll try to daisy chain these bad boys together for organization's sake.

What do you think so far?  What has been your experience with children's church?  Or do you have a different model of children's church that your place of ministry follows?  Please leave me your insights in the comments below!  I would love to hear them.

Thanks for reading and God bless...