Is there anything cuter than kids in a Christmas play? I mean seriously, don’t we just love seeing the kids sharing their songs, saying their lines, quoting their Bible verses and wearing all the Christmasy things? And, of course, there’s always that “one” kid who unwittingly steals the show with their over-enthusiastic lines or their under-enthusiastic singing. Or the one who is just a little bit off on the motions or the one who is pretending to conduct in the back row. I mean, who doesn’t like seeing kids perform in church?
Me.
What?!? I’m a children’s pastor. Isn’t that against the rules?
You guys, bear with me but, yeah, I usually don’t like them very much at all. I love that the kids talk about Jesus. I do think that they are beyond adorable and I want to hug every single one. But what I don’t like are the many implications that often come with it; things that go unsaid, but speak volumes to children and adults about the place of children in “big church.”
Four Reasons I Don’t Like Christmas Programs
- They define the role of Children in Worship – They are performers. They are cute. Everyone likes to “see” them. Everyone wants them on stage. But children are much more than that. They are active, vital, necessary members of the body of Christ. If they are only invited into worship to “perform,” guess what worship/church becomes for them? A performance. And when they get tired of performing or they aren’t cute anymore, they move on to bigger and better things.
- They define the role of the Children’s Pastor – Many or most who work in Children’s ministry rarely spend much time in “big church.” The role is unseen; serving downstairs or upstairs making sure children are loved, rooms are covered, volunteers are appreciated, parents are affirmed, janitors are appeased, visitors are welcomed and families are encouraged. But the only time a children’s minister is seen in church is when he/she bring the children up to put on a show. It creates a very limited view of who children’s ministers are.
- They define the role of the Congregation – When the children perform, all the feelings are there! The kids are sweet and cute and the church loves to see them in church. But it is a passive reception; the kids give, the church receives. There are no active, ongoing relationships. Many don’t even know the children’s names. They are the “girl in the red dress that sang so loud” and the “boy in the tie who sat on the steps.” It creates an environment of “us” and “them” and when the performance is over, everyone returns to their posts.
- They define who is and who is not “the church” – This is the same reason I despise the term “big church.” There isn’t a big church and little church in God’s kingdom. There’s just church. We, all of us, old, young and in-between, are all members of God’s body, part of the church, His Bride. We affirm this at baptism or dedication. The whole congregations commits to being one body. And then, we go our separate ways, big and little, for the year, until it’s time to perform again.
