When did parents and children become responsible for someone not hearing from God?
We’ve all done it. We’re sitting in church, and a baby starts crying or a child says something a little too loud. We roll our eyes disapprovingly and shake our heads, “Don’t those parents know we have a children’s ministry? How selfish of them to have their kids in here to disturb my worship time… um, I mean the worship time.”
We post bouncers at the doors to the sanctuary or auditorium to convince parents that their children are better off in age appropriate classes. We print in our bulletins about “a wonderful children’s ministry for your kids so others can worship without distraction.”
When was the last time you listened to a parent who brings their child into the sanctuary or auditorium without redirecting them to the children’s wing? We make sweeping assumptions about “those parents.” We create a caricature of an overprotective hover parent who can’t let go of their baby. We miss an opportunity to care. We miss an opportunity to encourage. We miss an opportunity to empower. We miss an opportunity to build relationship and trust. We miss an opportunity to help those families discover God more fully.
