KIDZ in Church

For specific September 29th and past KIDZ in Church posts, click HERE.

Some parents choose to have their children with them for the entire service.
Others have their children with them during the singing part of the gathering time.
Still, others have their children in the children's church classes for the entire gathering time. 

We desire to offer children a Biblically-focused, safe environment on Sunday morning.
At the same time, we recognize that parents are the primary disciple-makers in their children's lives.  Whether children are in the kids' program or the gathering time, parents are responsible for helping their children grow. 

A couple of Sundays during the year, Trinity shuts down the 1st—5th-grade children's church time so the children can be with their parents in the service. 
We post specific resources for each of these Sundays HERE.

While we call this KIDZ in Church Sunday, a better title would be KIDZ in the Service/Gathering Time.

Kids and Families Intentionally Discipled Zealously in the Service.

The church is not a specific meeting time or a specific meeting place.
The church is the people of God, and these are tips to help your child during that gathering time.

Every other Sunday, there is a children's church time downstairs. Parents are welcome to bring their children to the service or the children's ministry downstairs. Remember, parents are the primary disciple-makers in their children's lives.  

If parents choose to have their children in the service, here is an 8 Tips For Helping Your Child in Worship PDF

These eight points are broken down even further in this seminar - Strategies for Engaging Children in the Worship Service – Truth78.

Here is the PDF information.

Sometimes the difference for children between enduring Sunday morning services and enjoying Sunday morning services is simply a matter of preparation and training.

It is our heartfelt prayer that your child will come as a participant in the service to worship our great God. To that end, we have prepared a few suggestions that might help you lead your child to worship this morning.

1.     Be Prepared for Worship

Sunday morning starts Saturday night-lay out clothes (find all shoes!), get offerings ready, rehearse memory verses, and gather together everything you need to bring with you before Sunday morning. Keep Sunday simple-make an easy breakfast and leave the house with time to spare. Remind your child of your "expectations of his behavior during the church service.

2.    Be a Role Model for Your Children

Start your morning with a positive attitude, a cheerful tone, a spirit of anticipation and enthusiasm, and a heart for worship.

3.    Walk Your Child Through the Service

Before it Starts Look over the bulletin or service details online; point out what will be happening and how your child can participate. This may mean teaching him a refrain of a responsive reading or teaching him a phrase from a song or chorus and asking him to listen for it. Pray with your child before the service starts.

4.     Pray for Your Child

Pray not only that your child will learn to participate and listen attentively, but pray that his heart would be inclined to the Lord. 

5.     Encourage Your Child to Participate in the Service

By teaching your child hymns and worship songs at home he will be able to participate in the service. If he cannot learn the whole song, teach him the refrain and signal to him when it is time to sing the part he knows. 

Encourage your child to sit and to stand at the appropriate times, to clap when appropriate, etc. If you use hymn books, show him the words in the hymn book, moving your finger along as the hymn is sung. Even for a non-reader, this will help to focus his attention and encourage him to listen to the words. Have your child bring an offering and place it in the plate.

6.     Help Your Child Become an Active Sermon Listener

Help your child to focus on the sermon by quietly whispering instructions to him (ie. "Listen to this story",  

"Can you draw a picture of..." 

This is not a time of long instruction, but just very short statements to focus his attention. It is also not a time for your child to whisper back to you.  Encourage a younger child to listen to the sermon and to draw a picture of something from the sermon. This should not be seen as a time for doodling, but for active listening. If your child is very young and has a hard time sitting for a long time, after he has listened to the sermon for a while, you may want to let your child look at small, non-distracting Bible storybooks. 

As your child gets older and learns to write, model for him how to take simple notes. Let him copy your notes at first; eventually encourage him to take his own notes. For notetaking, use a My Church Notebook from Truth78 or a spiral notebook that is specifically for Sundays. 

Put together a tote bag for your child to use specifically in church. 

Inside you may want to include some of the following items: small Bible storybooks, a pad of paper or notebook, the Fighter Verses Coloring Book or other Bible story coloring books, and Crayola Twistable™" crayons or colored pencils. 

7.     Stretch Your Child's Ability to Sit Still and Be Attentive

If you have an active child, you may need to take your child out of the service part way through. Keep stretching him until he can sit through the whole service. You may need to be firm. Affirm positive behavior. 

8.    Talk About the Service on the Way Home

Speak positively with your child about the service, and ask him if he has any questions. Encourage him to share his drawings or notes.

Visit Truth78.org for more tips and resources.