By: Alyssa Kester

Church family,  we have a special Sunday coming up; we’re calling it Kids in Worship Sunday. We will close Liberty Kids for the morning and enjoy worship together during our two services with our little ones. I wanted to share some encouragement for all of us before that Sunday, whether you have little ones in your family or not!

The Noise

Let's look at Philippians 2. “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Have a plan to keep the distractions minimal, and if you need to walk your child outside the sanctuary- that’s perfectly fine! We can “consider the interests of others” by recognizing when our children are being overly distracting (whether by disobedience, typical childish-ness, or unmet needs) and minimizing that for other members and guests.

If you do not have children, but are near a child who is making noise, you can “consider the interests of others” by trying your best to overlook noises and small distractions from little ones and focus on the worship service. At the end of the day, remember that our worship gatherings are family gatherings, not concerts, so we can showcase the gospel by the grace and patience we display towards one another. 

Kids have Souls Too

If you see a child in service, greet them by name! If you don't know their name, feel free to smile and give them a friendly wave! Each Sunday morning, our children are making an emotional impression of church. Smiling faces and knowing their name can go a long way to help the kids in our midst feel like the church is a place for them too. And, Lord willing, they’ll embrace the gospel, believe in Christ, and stay with the church for all their years! “Our goal is not just to get the children into church, but into Christ.” (Steve Chang)


Parents

You’ll have 728 worship services together with your child from age 5 to 18, but only 312 Sundays together if you wait until they’re 12. Consider bringing them alongside you as soon as you can on Sundays. Give them many chances to ask questions, hear the Word preached, and see a large group of believers who prioritize prayer, singing, listening to the Word preached, confession, and the Lord’s supper.

Consider these things for preparing your kids ahead of time:

Sing 

Look up the songs we’ll sing as a congregation and practice singing them with your kid(s) throughout the week before Sunday. Tell them you want to sing with them on Sunday! 


Prepare and Set Expectations

Telling your children how you expect them to behave will go a long way for minimizing distractions! You can explain what will happen in the service and what will be expected of them during those times. Bring a book(s) or quiet activity for them to do while we listen to the sermon. Little hands will have a hard time sitting still without something to hold, so plan ahead for that. We’ll have our clipboards and coloring bags available as we usually do!


Read and discuss the passage that will be preached

Read the passage of scripture ahead of time and discuss it. Hearing familiar names and verses can create instant engagement for your kids! No one expects that young children will retain all of the information or follow the sermon well, but we know from Isaiah 55 that God’s Word “will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Sharing scripture with our kids will never be a waste of time.

Verses to Consider

  • Hebrews 10:24-25 - And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.

  • Luke 18:15-17 - People were bringing infants to him so that he might touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. Jesus, however, invited them:“Let the little children come to me, and don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

  • Deuteronomy 4:9 - “Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you don’t forget the things your eyes have seen and so that they don’t slip from your mind as long as you live. Teach them to your children and your grandchildren.”

  • Deuteronomy 6:4-7 - “Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. 7 Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”