Should children stay in the service?

There has been an article that has caused a bit of stir recently; arguing for children to remain with their parents in the main church gathering rather than leaving to key into different age groups.

It is quite in vogue to make these sorts of arguments and while this piece won't address all of those, I thought it might be good to be reminded of some of the benefits of having groups for different aged children (and maybe also youth!).

Some of these will seem very obvious, but with a lot of the narrative moving in the opposite direction it is worth being reminded about them - not least for the many volunteers that will be involved in groups such as these this very week. It's worth saying that I do think some of the arguments in favour of everyone all in together are powerful and persuasive, so I present these not as a slam dunk to say we should definitely do children's groups but to remind us of the other side of the argument.

1. Children's groups on a Sunday allow teaching to be tailored to age - for both children and adults.

Children by their very nature are at a different developmental stage than adults, and in all other areas of life therefore need age-specific teaching. In one sense, it is the same with their Christian formation. The very youngest will struggle with concepts and need stories that present truths about God. As children grow they will begin to be able to understand more intangible concepts. And as they become teenagers, they will be able to spend more time in trickier bits of the Bible grappling with doctrine and ethical issues. Having age specific groups allows children to be taught in a way that is appropriate to their age and development.

It also allows the same for adults! As this podcast points out, the Bible deals with some mature and complex issues that it would be inappropriate in some ways to teach on clearly in front of young children. And in addition to what is being taught, having different age groups allows for difference in the way things are taught - as well as the length of the teaching.

2. Age specific groups create opportunities for people to use their teaching gifts in different settings.

1 Corinthians 12:22-24 talks about those in the church family that look the least important to be the most valuable, and in part this is due to the way they create lots of wonderful opportunities for people to serve. On an average Sunday we will have over 20 adults serving with our youth and children and it would be easy to wish for a world without the pressure to find these volunteers but actually the opposite is true. It creates wonderful opportunities for people to serve and that is especially true for people using their gift of teaching. Opportunities to use this gift in church can be limited, especially for women in complementarian churches, so this is a great chance for lots more people whom Jesus has gifted in this way to use this gift for the good of the youngest in the church.

In addition it is a wonderful demonstration of church family in action as youth or adults without children of their own fulfil their roles as spiritual older brothers and sisters or spiritual parents to the children in their church. Yes parents have responsibility for bringing up their children to know and love Jesus but that doesn't necessarily include formal teaching sessions. It is great for those who have been gifted in that way to serve families like this. And for those young people who have parents who aren't Christians or who don't teach the gospel at home it means they still receive wonderful age-appropriate teaching.

3. Having children in groups on a Sunday morning gives parents a break

Many might object to this final argument. They might argue that a parent's responsibility extends to church, where they should be with their children and helping them to behave and engage with what is going on. In some instances this might work and be a lovely time for families but often the opposite is true. It can be quite a challenge for parents (especially if the service isn't very engaging!) and can really impact what they can get out of church. This is especially true for those who might be bringing children on their own or have children who struggle to sit still in a service. Parents can be absolutely knackered and at their wits end and I believe often the best way we can serve them is to look after their children, teach them the Bible and give them good time and space to spend time with God in prayer, worshipping Him and hearing from His word.

So there you are - you may not agree with them and in some ways they are very obvious. But if you are feeling tempted by the arguments for keeping children in the service or maybe feel unvalued in your role as a Sunday School teacher, it is worth remembering the wonderful things about it as God's word is taught and young people's lives are transformed by the gospel.