Top 10 Reasons We Can't Worship With Kids

In my workshops, I often ask folks to complete this sentence: "We can't worship with children because..." And let me assure you, we have no trouble coming up with a long list of reasons why kids should should stay out of the sanctuary.

1. They are too loud!
2. They are too wiggly.
3. They might light the church on fire.
4. Their parents want to worship in peace.
5. They are in Sunday School (or Kids Choir or Children's Church).
6. They have a soccer game (or karate tournament or art class).
7. "They disrupt the sacredness of the sanctuary."
8. It's too boring.
9. It's too hard to engage them because kids are so different from adults.
10. They don't understand.

I don't mean to make light of these fears because they are both honest and (usually) true. Kids are loud and messy. They have a tendency to ask questions at inopportune moments. Church can be boring for kids (and adults too)! Children can't understand the language and symbolism in much of the service. But how much of worship - the intersection of divine glory and human awe - do any of us truly understand? Christina Embree says, "{church is} a total package. And much of what is included in that package is not comprehended through the mind, but through the heart."

Worshipping with kids isn't easy. It's important that we recognize the challenges so that we can also embrace the gifts children bring to our church. Make sure to read part 2: "Top 10 Blessings of Worship with Kids."

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