Thursday, 22 October 2009
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Children as Church Members: What's Your Position?
In the Gospels, it is recorded that Jesus told his disciples not to stop children from coming to Jesus. In Mark 9:42 Jesus says that if anyone causes a child that believes in him to stumble and sin, it would be better for the person to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.It is clear, from these verses, that Jesus cares a great deal about children. At my church, we have a service during the week for age 3 to 6th grade. On Sunday morning, we have Sunday school for all ages, and during the service, there is what we call extended care, for children birth to pre-K. For older children, we have a completely optional children's church program. It is up to the parents on if they want the child with them during service or at children's church.
We have baptized minors with parental permission, and minors are allowed full membership of the church, and allowed to vote and attend business meetings that are held every month. They are allowed to be junior ushers and help to collect the money during service, as well as be door greeters and hand out the bulletins. We have had "special music" (anyone know how it got that name?) performed by both a children's choir and solos by children.
That is more or less the positions that are held by the church that I attend. How about your church? Are children allowed to be full members? Are they baptized? can they participate in the service? Can a child sing special music by him/herself or does it have to be part of some sort of children's musical program? Are they allowed in the service, or regulated to some back room so they don't disturb adults?
I worded that last question, on purpose, because when I talk to some people about children's church, that is the response that I have gotten from people attending various churches, that children have to have their own service or they will disturb and bother the adults. Those are just questions that I have thought of, if your church does something with children, that I have not covered, please feel free to mention.
Does your church allow children to act as full members?
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Comments (15)
I think special music is just music meant for the kids, or easily interpreted by the kids. Kids are not members by themselves --you have to be on your own, or of a certain age. My personal opinion: children should not be given the option to be their own member, for church is supposed to be attended with the whole family, church is highly familial. Giving children their own membership might promote going to church without your family, which, if you can help it I don't think is right; now if you cant help it, that is a different issue, but it is not the norm.
I believe "Special music" got its name when someone asked a tactful pastor, "So, what did you think of the solo number today?" "Oh, well, it was so.... special!"
To me, one of the truly bizarre things churches do is to say, "We're all about family values!" and showing this by segregating people by age, effectively keeping families from worshiping together. Our church strikes a balance more like the one described in the article (families together in worship, optional service for young kids afterward).
@westernsoul - I agree with you, in that churches should be attended by families. However our relationship with God is personal. Since our faith and relationship is personal, membership should be based on a personal basis on if the person is saved, not on a family basis.
I think "membership" is a tool of administrating and marketing that reflects our society more than the church. I don't care for church rolls personally, unless functionally they are beneficial. I don't think membership in a particular congregation as such is a big deal. If they are Christians, they are a part of the church universal.
As far as matters of voting and such go, again, I don't see much need for voting (for anything more than to assess the congregation's feelings as a whole; the elders are there to make decisions).
The church I attend on Sunday mornings has everyone worship together, and after worship pastor calls the children up to the front of the stage and he sits there and talks to them about how important they are. Then he prays over them, sometimes by name (it's a small church), and then they are dismissed to a children's service that caters more to their age group. I don't think the reasoning for the separate service is because children are a disruption; as far as I know, the pastor believes the messages he delivers in "big church" are a bit too mature for children to understand, and a children's service allows the church to still minister to every attending person, regardless of age. As for membership, I'm not even a member there. I don't think they even have a membership class.
In our Church, all children are encouraged to attend Sunday mass with their families. Children may be baptized soon after their birth, and they begin their formal training in God's Word, during the week, around age 6 in first grade. This prepares them for First Communion which is offered when they are around age 7. Their training in God's Word continues through high school and culminates in the sacrament of Confirmation, which is offered around sophomore or junior year. With Baptism, they are members of Jesus' Church.
I'm a PCUSA Presbyterian and my 17-year-old little sister is a church Elder. I'm proud of her; she's a levelheaded kid, and she gets to help make sure that the large youth population of our church is well-represented. I think her term's only one year, but it's a great opportunity for her to learn about church governance and to make her voice heard.
Go ahead, tear that apart.
They are "full members".
It's a mistake to think that "voting", serving on the Lords table, ushering, and the like are the things that make you a "full member" of the Church.
Regardless of what a Child does, if he or she has sincere faith and has partaken of the covenant between God and us through the blood of Christ, then no one can say otherwise.
I love the sound of little children whispering questions to their parents, giggling, or babies crying/laughing during Mass. The Church is so alive with children present. Infant baptisms are such beautiful events, too; First Communions are so moving, and seeing children serving at the altar when they are young is a powerful sight. I think children and babies add a very beautiful quality to the liturgy that no one else can provide.
We have four kids, and they sit with us at Church. They are all loud, and sometimes bother other parishioners. Still, we are a family and it seems part of God's plan that we are all together for Mass. This is part of being a Christian, and kids should participate to their level of ability.
I don't know if it's really a good idea to have children voting. Teens? Maybe. But why would you want a 9 year old voting on a church budget? Does a 9 year old have any concept of monthly income, salaries, fixed costs, and discretionary spending?
@westernsoul - I'd like to address that last point - what about people that can't help it? My family doesn't go to church, but I do. As a minor, I can't be a member, so that plan makes it much harder for me to know what's going on and to help influence my church.
@GaugeCheck - well yea, thats exactly what I mean, in your case it would be a good idea. However, you dont have to be a member to attend church.
"Jesus says that if anyone causes a child that believes in him to
stumble and sin, it would be better for the person to be thrown into
the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck."
LMFAO Priceless. Who would have thought Jesus was so badass...!
i agree that church should be a family thing, and when a family joins a church, they do so...as a FAMILY.
HOWEVER, with that being said, that means the entire family needs to hear the word of God at their level. Our church has a childrens church which is excellent-he has his kids over there along with everyone elses' kids...I'm glad they separate the ages because the church I grew up in, our pastor preached to everyone...the idea was great, but it's kind of hard to get what you need when you're a parent have to tend to your kids, or have to hear someone else's kids crying hysterically...at least when there's children's church, they get taught the word of GOd at their level, and our pastor gets to teach to all of us adults and teach on issues that we as adults struggle with that little kids don't even understand...teens get preached to at their level, etc...I think it's great!