Children In Church

Marian Hamre retired from Red Apple School this year after serving as the Director since 1994. She was so kind to write this blog and share her ideas about taking children to Worship Service.

When do we start bringing children to the Worship Service?

There is no set age or time you can begin to bring your child into the Worship Time as it depends on your worship style, if there is a Children’s Church option, age of children, and family structure.

Here are few ideas that may help your children stay engaged:

• Be realistic about children’s behavior. Do not ask them to “sit still.” That is not possible for children & if you look around, you will see that we adults also fidget, dig in our purses, read the bulletin during the sermon, & talk with others around us.
• Sit near the front of the church!! Think about the view they have when everyone stands up during the service if you sit near the back. Sitting in the front allows children to be more engaged and to notice things that relate to the service.
• Arrive a little earlier and talk about what they see in the worship areas.
• Have your children take part by standing when you do, holding hands together during the prayers, and putting the offering in the offering plate.
• Don’t be embarrassed to leave if your child is disruptive, but let your child know you will go back in when they are settled. (Varies with different ages)
• Bring something to keep them engaged & keep those only for church times which gives them something to look forward to. Some ideas: pipe cleaners are fun to use & they are quiet – change the types you bring (lots of choices at stores like Michael’s)
• Bring a children’s Bible with you and find the message or story of the day.
• Bring paper (tablets are also fun) and crayons for children to create and scribble. Coloring books are good if your children like them. For loose sheets of paper, bring a clip board.
• Read to your child every day and enjoy your child at every stage.

Marian Hamre, MA
Educator and Grandmother of seven

Resources:Visit Christian book stores for ideas and materials
Concordia Publishing has many good resources such as board books and other books for different ages