Comments on: Getting our Kids to Jesus Or Not…… http://mamaarcher.com/2009/09/14/getting-our-kids-to-jesus-or-not/ a reformed mama raising many arrows Sun, 14 Aug 2011 19:58:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Eva http://mamaarcher.com/2009/09/14/getting-our-kids-to-jesus-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-8948 Eva Mon, 05 Oct 2009 02:23:16 +0000 http://mamaarcher.com/?p=1553#comment-8948 My dh has been pastor of a small reformed Baptist church in VA for 8 months. The only children attending were our own when we first came. I had trained them to sit in church at our past church and I was so thankful, because it would have been me missing most services to teach them a class. Now we have 3-4 other children regularly attending and today we had 3 more visitors. I offered nursery for any child under 5. I am thankful to say that the parents were comfortable keeping them in service. The 3-4 children that have been attending for a couple of months are starting to get more antsy in service and comfortable with us and would probably be willing to go out for a class. However, I am trying to show the parents how important it is that there children stay with them for these very reasons mentioned already! I am so thankful God opened my eyes to the beauty of sitting as a family and worshipping as an entire church family! I think part of the solution is having a pastor that isn't bothered by the extra shuffling and sometimes exiting/reentering as parents teach their child to sit quietly! My dh has been pastor of a small reformed Baptist church in VA for 8 months. The only children attending were our own when we first came. I had trained them to sit in church at our past church and I was so thankful, because it would have been me missing most services to teach them a class. Now we have 3-4 other children regularly attending and today we had 3 more visitors. I offered nursery for any child under 5. I am thankful to say that the parents were comfortable keeping them in service. The 3-4 children that have been attending for a couple of months are starting to get more antsy in service and comfortable with us and would probably be willing to go out for a class. However, I am trying to show the parents how important it is that there children stay with them for these very reasons mentioned already! I am so thankful God opened my eyes to the beauty of sitting as a family and worshipping as an entire church family! I think part of the solution is having a pastor that isn’t bothered by the extra shuffling and sometimes exiting/reentering as parents teach their child to sit quietly!

]]> By: Amy http://mamaarcher.com/2009/09/14/getting-our-kids-to-jesus-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-8889 Amy Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:41:28 +0000 http://mamaarcher.com/?p=1553#comment-8889 I didn't read the rest of the comments, but as a culture who has learned to have our children babysat at every opportunity and do very little as a family unit, this is simply what we are used to. It takes a real paradigm shift to get away from this. Great post and food for thought for those who just blindly follow this way of "worshiping." ~Amy @ Raising Arrows .-= Amy´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/ssxG/~3/k9HLJxV-304/season-of-love.html" rel="nofollow">A Season of Love</a> =-. I didn’t read the rest of the comments, but as a culture who has learned to have our children babysat at every opportunity and do very little as a family unit, this is simply what we are used to. It takes a real paradigm shift to get away from this. Great post and food for thought for those who just blindly follow this way of “worshiping.”
~Amy @ Raising Arrows
.-= Amy´s last blog ..A Season of Love =-.

]]> By: Jacque http://mamaarcher.com/2009/09/14/getting-our-kids-to-jesus-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-8884 Jacque Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:23:03 +0000 http://mamaarcher.com/?p=1553#comment-8884 I feel sadness as you do. Frankly, we CANNOT get our children to Jesus when we view worship and Bible study time as OURS (as in OUR time to be away from the responsibility of our children so we can learn alone) and not as ours (as in our responsibility to learn the Scriptures and teach our children and function as a family before a Great and Mighty Elohim). And, if I may go a step further. I am greatly saddened, because, many times, in getting our children to Jesus, we miss getting them before a Holy God who desires to be their Heavenly Father. He did not send his son as Messiah to take away from the relationship we must have with him, yet it seems that is the main focus in most churches today. Thanks Kristine. Another great thought to ponder. :) Be blessed this week!! .-= Jacque´s last blog ..<a href="http://jacquedixon.com/?p=4397" rel="nofollow">The Duties of Parents: Holy Discipline</a> =-. I feel sadness as you do. Frankly, we CANNOT get our children to Jesus when we view worship and Bible study time as OURS (as in OUR time to be away from the responsibility of our children so we can learn alone) and not as ours (as in our responsibility to learn the Scriptures and teach our children and function as a family before a Great and Mighty Elohim).

And, if I may go a step further. I am greatly saddened, because, many times, in getting our children to Jesus, we miss getting them before a Holy God who desires to be their Heavenly Father. He did not send his son as Messiah to take away from the relationship we must have with him, yet it seems that is the main focus in most churches today.

Thanks Kristine. Another great thought to ponder.
:)

Be blessed this week!!
.-= Jacque´s last blog ..The Duties of Parents: Holy Discipline =-.

]]> By: Terri Sue http://mamaarcher.com/2009/09/14/getting-our-kids-to-jesus-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-8878 Terri Sue Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:21:22 +0000 http://mamaarcher.com/?p=1553#comment-8878 I find the whole experience sad for you. I havea hard time with people who bring drinks into the worship service unless needed for medical reasons. We didn't allow our son to participate in Bible Hour when he was young because we wanted him to learn to sit with us and listen. Now we belong to a church that has Bible hour for 3 - 3rd graders during the sermon, the kids stay in until after communion. We have allowed our son, now that he's a teen to participate as one of the teachers. We did this because we felt it was important to also teach him about respecting authority such as our elders who have chosen for our church to have Bible Hour. I find it amusing also that the people didn't seem to get it. So many people today seem to think worship is all about what do I get out of it or how was I entertained not that we are there as the body of Christ to show glory to God. Be blessed, Terri Sue .-= Terri Sue´s last blog ..<a href="http://cricketscornertwo.blogspot.com/2009/08/first-days.html" rel="nofollow">First Days</a> =-. I find the whole experience sad for you. I havea hard time with people who bring drinks into the worship service unless needed for medical reasons.

We didn’t allow our son to participate in Bible Hour when he was young because we wanted him to learn to sit with us and listen. Now we belong to a church that has Bible hour for 3 – 3rd graders during the sermon, the kids stay in until after communion. We have allowed our son, now that he’s a teen to participate as one of the teachers. We did this because we felt it was important to also teach him about respecting authority such as our elders who have chosen for our church to have Bible Hour.

I find it amusing also that the people didn’t seem to get it. So many people today seem to think worship is all about what do I get out of it or how was I entertained not that we are there as the body of Christ to show glory to God.

Be blessed,
Terri Sue
.-= Terri Sue´s last blog ..First Days =-.

]]> By: MamaArcher http://mamaarcher.com/2009/09/14/getting-our-kids-to-jesus-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-8873 MamaArcher Sun, 20 Sep 2009 05:01:28 +0000 http://mamaarcher.com/?p=1553#comment-8873 In total agreement with you here Dana!! In total agreement with you here Dana!!

]]> By: Dana http://mamaarcher.com/2009/09/14/getting-our-kids-to-jesus-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-8872 Dana Sun, 20 Sep 2009 04:13:42 +0000 http://mamaarcher.com/?p=1553#comment-8872 I don't think socializing should be taking place during service, either. Just that it is important, and I think sometimes the tendency is to ignore that. It is a human need, and we should fulfill that with our church brethren. :) I don't think the Puritans had it right either. My only point was that how to cope with children in service is a very old problem. .-= Dana´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/principleddiscovery/gVgl/~3/gIDCGqiDPvY/" rel="nofollow">Interruption Academy</a> =-. I don’t think socializing should be taking place during service, either. Just that it is important, and I think sometimes the tendency is to ignore that. It is a human need, and we should fulfill that with our church brethren. :)

I don’t think the Puritans had it right either. My only point was that how to cope with children in service is a very old problem.
.-= Dana´s last blog ..Interruption Academy =-.

]]> By: Autumn Beck http://mamaarcher.com/2009/09/14/getting-our-kids-to-jesus-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-8867 Autumn Beck Fri, 18 Sep 2009 04:31:19 +0000 http://mamaarcher.com/?p=1553#comment-8867 We completely agree! We have been attending our church for only about 6 weeks and the first 4 everyone kept telling us about the "children's church" during the service. They finally stopped telling us when they realized that our children stay with us during the service :D We were very polite about it but it was just very odd. .-= Autumn Beck´s last blog ..<a href="http://kerrvillehomeschoolers.blogspot.com/2009/09/rare-sight.html" rel="nofollow">A rare sight</a> =-. We completely agree! We have been attending our church for only about 6 weeks and the first 4 everyone kept telling us about the “children’s church” during the service. They finally stopped telling us when they realized that our children stay with us during the service :D We were very polite about it but it was just very odd.
.-= Autumn Beck´s last blog ..A rare sight =-.

]]> By: MamaArcher http://mamaarcher.com/2009/09/14/getting-our-kids-to-jesus-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-8850 MamaArcher Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:50:39 +0000 http://mamaarcher.com/?p=1553#comment-8850 I agree that fellowship is important but I do not believe that during the worship service we should be fellowshipping with one another, we should instead be focused on worshiping the savior. Time for fellowship (chit chatting and laughing with coffee) can be after or before. Especially not during scripture reading and prayer. I firmly do believe that the parents should be the ones to teach their children to sit in church, listen, and worship...so I do disagree with the approach you say the puritans took in regards to this particular situation. It is the parents who should be "holding the rod of authority" here not someone else, in my opinion. I agree that fellowship is important but I do not believe that during the worship service we should be fellowshipping with one another, we should instead be focused on worshiping the savior. Time for fellowship (chit chatting and laughing with coffee) can be after or before. Especially not during scripture reading and prayer.

I firmly do believe that the parents should be the ones to teach their children to sit in church, listen, and worship…so I do disagree with the approach you say the puritans took in regards to this particular situation. It is the parents who should be “holding the rod of authority” here not someone else, in my opinion.

]]> By: Dana http://mamaarcher.com/2009/09/14/getting-our-kids-to-jesus-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-8849 Dana Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:22:59 +0000 http://mamaarcher.com/?p=1553#comment-8849 I don't know. Corporate worship is important, and so is fellowship. Mingling over coffee is part of that. Our church had a similar problem with the stragglers and chatters, but we addressed it by extending the time in between services to give everyone that time for fellowship they were obviously seeking and still start service on time. Otherwise, I agree with you for the most part. I don't know that I hang the whole future of the church on this. The pilgrims sat their children at the back of the church where they wouldn't be a disruption and someone with a long rod was charged with keeping them quiet. I suppose they learned something sitting there during sermon, but it wasn't seated with their parents, either. It really depends more on what the parents are expecting Sunday to Sunday, I think, as far as whether or not those children will walk away from the faith. .-= Dana´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/principleddiscovery/gVgl/~3/ZCpo9TXo3Xg/" rel="nofollow">Going to the fair…the book fair!</a> =-. I don’t know. Corporate worship is important, and so is fellowship. Mingling over coffee is part of that. Our church had a similar problem with the stragglers and chatters, but we addressed it by extending the time in between services to give everyone that time for fellowship they were obviously seeking and still start service on time.

Otherwise, I agree with you for the most part. I don’t know that I hang the whole future of the church on this. The pilgrims sat their children at the back of the church where they wouldn’t be a disruption and someone with a long rod was charged with keeping them quiet. I suppose they learned something sitting there during sermon, but it wasn’t seated with their parents, either.

It really depends more on what the parents are expecting Sunday to Sunday, I think, as far as whether or not those children will walk away from the faith.
.-= Dana´s last blog ..Going to the fair…the book fair! =-.

]]> By: Amy http://mamaarcher.com/2009/09/14/getting-our-kids-to-jesus-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-8848 Amy Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:56:34 +0000 http://mamaarcher.com/?p=1553#comment-8848 Wow.... I keep thinking about all of the teachers and helpers leading those kids classes. When do they worship? It had to have been very ironic to see the mass exodus of children at the same time the message of "bringing them to Jesus" was being flashed on the Big Screen! I love Julie's point of post-high school age not staying involved in church because they were never really a part of the church itself... just its programs. That is sad, but an excellent point. Makes me glad for our small, conservative church where children have as much interaction with adults as they do other children!! .-= Amy´s last blog ..<a href="http://buffaloesandbutterflywings.blogspot.com/2009/09/childrens-books-blog-hop.html" rel="nofollow">Children's Books Blog Hop</a> =-. Wow…. I keep thinking about all of the teachers and helpers leading those kids classes. When do they worship?

It had to have been very ironic to see the mass exodus of children at the same time the message of “bringing them to Jesus” was being flashed on the Big Screen!

I love Julie’s point of post-high school age not staying involved in church because they were never really a part of the church itself… just its programs. That is sad, but an excellent point. Makes me glad for our small, conservative church where children have as much interaction with adults as they do other children!!
.-= Amy´s last blog ..Children’s Books Blog Hop =-.

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