I am close to finishing my third semester in seminary, working to earn my Masters in Christian Education. I also started working part-time this month at my church, serving as the Interim Director of Children's Christian Education. And I have two young kids. So as you can imagine, I spend a lot of time thinking about kids and church.
I think about it so much that it even spills over into the infinitesimal amount of time I have for pleasure reading. I'm currently in the middle of a small but powerful book called Parenting in the Pew. The idea is that children should be in a church's sanctuary participating in worship from a very young age. If we hope or expect our kids to attend church and be people of faith as adults, then it makes sense for them to participate in one of the main parts of church and to learn by experiencing what worship is about. The book has many suggestions for how parents can facilitate this with their kids (which I won't go into here) but with that in mind...
I was sitting with my two wiggly boys in the family Christmas Eve service tonight. Little B is used to sitting in worship with us but he was still in a mood and pretty squirmy. So when we started singing a hymn he knows, I excitedly caught his attention and invited him to sing along. AND HE DID! My friends, I think this was the first time he ever sang in church, fully participating in the fellowship of believers that had gathered to worship God. It brought tears to my eyes. It was the best Christmas gift I didn't even know to ask for. And my heart overflows.
"But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart..." (Luke 2: 19)
I hope each of you has wonderful things to treasure and ponder in your heart this Christmas. Alleluia, Emmanuel has come, God with us.
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