| Author | Message | ||
| Markus Registered user Username: Markus Post Number: 7 Registered: 10-2008 |
A recent topic that came up when we had some Adventist friends over recently was the fact that the children stay with the adults throughout the main Adventist church service. All the non-Adventist churches we have attended have their own kids clubs that they attend rather than sitting through the sermon with the adults. Now I'm curious as to whether this is simply just tradition? Or is it embedded in the writings of EGW somewhere? | ||
| Angelcat Registered user Username: Angelcat Post Number: 287 Registered: 11-2008 |
Well, I know as a kid, when I asked to go sit with my friends during church, my mom told me EGW said kids should sit with their families during church. | ||
| Grace_alone Registered user Username: Grace_alone Post Number: 1853 Registered: 6-2006  |
My hubby told me that at the SDA church, the kids had to sit and suffer with the grown ups! LOL Good question, Markus. At my Lutheran church we've always had a nursery for kids. The SDA churches I've been to always had a "mother's room" where little ones went. Not exactly a nursery, but not completely different either. I'm curious now too!  Leigh Anne | ||
| Helovesme2 Registered user Username: Helovesme2 Post Number: 2720 Registered: 8-2004  |
The biggest difference I saw between the 'mother's room' in Adventism, and the nursury in other churches was that the Mother's room was much like the church itself - with pews or chairs, and the sound from the service being piped in (it could be turned down for sleeping babies, but was usually up loud enough so mothers could 'follow along'). There were usually cribs and a changing table in the mother's room, but they were for the very young. If a toddler was taken in there, they were often still expected to sit in the pew and listen - the purpose of the room not being to play, but to give other church members quite while the little ones were trained. In 'regular' nurseries I've visited, the idea seemed much more to give the kids a safe place to let off steam or play while the mothers/staff took care of them. Sometimes the service was still audible, and sometimes it wasn't but the focus was not on teaching tiny ones to sit 'quiet and still' for church. | ||
| Hec Registered user Username: Hec Post Number: 1577 Registered: 3-2009 |
I all depends on the resources of the church. Each one is different. Some has no resources and the kids have to sit with the adults. Others have completely separate "church service" for different ages, beside the sabbath school. Again, some think that the kids should be taught to sit with the adults as soon as possible. So, there is no consistent policy. Each church decides how to handle it. Hec | ||
| Gcfrankie Registered user Username: Gcfrankie Post Number: 756 Registered: 1-2007 |
I have been in churches where children have to be in the santuary, where other women will offer to take a child to sit with them during the services when there is one or more children in that family. There are other families who will not allow their children to sit with anyone else so it is up to the individual families but they also know help is there for them if needed. The problem today is that everyone is scattered all over the place where way back when it did not matter where you lived (in the same general area) families always came together at church and sat together. I know in my family we took up two pews, haha, then after church is was to the bakery for goodies and then to the grandparents for a couple of hours. Gail | ||
| Martin Registered user Username: Martin Post Number: 137 Registered: 11-2008 |
In my case, when I was about 10 or 11 some people in our church had decided to organise an "alternative" service for kids during the normal service... It didn't last long though. Don't know the reasons why it was stopped, but reading some of the stuff you've written I could imagine that somebody might have protested. I remember that I quite liked that there was something specially made "for us", besides Sabbath school. I guess that if the adults couldn't have a good time during the service, then nobody would I'm still amazed that in the church I have been attending for the last 2 years the Sunday school program for the kids lasts the whole service. During the Summer I started helping with the 10-11 years old and so far it's been a lovely experience. I even found myself thinking that I would have loved having something like that back in the day. | ||
| Wiredog Registered user Username: Wiredog Post Number: 81 Registered: 8-2010  |
At Stonebriar Community Church the Children's Sunday school lasts for the First Service and Second service. Kathe and I attend our Bible Fellowship class and then we go to the Second Service, during the whole time the kids are in their classes. I remember the first time we attended the Christian services there and we went to our class then we picked-up our kids for the service (ala Adventism). Needless to say the kids were not happy and fidgeted all the time making for embarrassed unhappy parents. When Kathe and I were Adventists one of use was usually on duty, either me as Deacon or her as Beginner Sabbath School Teacher. When she would be on duty our kids would sit with their fiends and their parents while Kathe typically put "stuff" away and cleaned-up, I was usually there helping her. Rarely did we get fed spiritually because Sabbath usually meant one or both of us were working but we used the excuse that this work was our form of worship! I also remember hearing Alistair Begg, preach a sermon on Nehemiah 8, in verse 2 (ESV) it says-- 2 So Ezra the priest(C) brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard,(D) on the first day of the seventh month. Here he was saying that "all who could understand what they heard" could be applied to the kids in the sense that they are not yet able to understand so parents please take advantage of the Children's Classes and Services. This is for the sake of the kids so they will not be flustered nor will those who are trying to listen to the sermon. Now as a Christian I agree with him, not for my own selfish reasons--as now Kathe and I are learning--but for our kids’ sake. I have noticed my children are memorizing Scripture understanding Christian Concepts and talking about Christ much more freely, correctly and sincerely. In fact my eldest son age 9 actually accepted Christ as his Savior, stepping forward during summer baseball camp at our church, AMEN! | ||
| Natofborg Registered user Username: Natofborg Post Number: 6 Registered: 3-2011 |
There are many SDA churches that are starting to offer kids' services. I think they are starting to see the need for it. | ||
| Ric_b Registered user Username: Ric_b Post Number: 767 Registered: 7-2004  |
Personally, I don't think it is about there being a "need" for children's services (no offense meant to those who attend and enjoy churches that have them). It is a cultural choice. Despite different people grabbing a verse here or there, Scripture is silent on the issue. We are not commanded one way or the other. So neither one is right or wrong. It's like wearing a blue shirt or a black shirt-a personal preference. | ||
| Free2dance Registered user Username: Free2dance Post Number: 280 Registered: 2-2010 |
As a mom, I can tell you that there is a difference in the way the parent experiences church depending on what the atmosphere or expectations are like. If kids are to be "trained in" there is a lot of pressure to keep them quiet, keep them happy, and use good judgement about when to take them out. The service is lost on the parent and when you know you are supposed to be training them in, you know you are being watched by some. We always left wondering why we even went. Eventually, we only took our son to Sabbath School and then went home. At our new church, our son is full of stories and life when we pick him up from his class. The whole family gets fed and when we come back together we are SO much better for it! It is complicated with our little one, but she has learned to bond with others in her class and her confidence in public settings is blossoming because she is secure in the fact that mommy and daddy always come back. As a parent, I prefer the freedom I have at our new church. There is no rule that our kids cannot be with us. There is a lot of support and love when we do bring them in. But the blessing is stolen when we are so stressed out about upsetting others that we can't even listen. I can tell you that the mood in the car on the way home is very different. | ||
| Ric_b Registered user Username: Ric_b Post Number: 768 Registered: 7-2004 |
I agree, there is a big difference between children being welcome to join and participate in worship, and an insistence on training kids appropriately in worship. And certainly one impact is how other people view a "less than perfect child" in worship. in a healthy church, kids can learn that worship is a joyful thing instead of just learning about being still and quiet. And there wasvan advantage to having avyoung kid in an SDA service. If the sermon was too "historic" or a guest speaker was droning on an on, you could pick up the child and leave. Otherwise you were trapped! | ||
| Animal Registered user Username: Animal Post Number: 884 Registered: 7-2008  |
OK....I need to borrow a kid when I go to church from now on...lol. They can come in handy at times. Thanks for the tip....lol lol ...Animal...I need a kid !!! |
