Don’t Bring Your Kids To Our Church…UNLESS…

Yesterday I did not preach at NewSpring. It was VERY nice to take a week off and to just be able to walk around and see the things I do not normally get to see. (Jason Wilson did an OUTSTANDING job—you can listen here!)

Last night I was able to spend some time in our children’s area and see the incredible job our staff and volunteers are doing. I saw in the nursery how the kids were known by name…and REALLY cared for in a Christ like manner. I watched the pre-school area and how the kids were captivated by a “skit” that was on their level. I listened to the grade school kids talk about the presentation they had just seen and then talk about Jesus in ways that I could have never discussed when I was that age.

Walking away I thought, “Parent’s REALLY should not bring there kids here…UNLESS they want to come every week!

Kids LOVE NewSpring! I have seen it over and over again. A mother pulled me aside one morning in the Bagel Shop to tell me that their three year old had a complete meltdown one morning while they were out of town visiting grandparents because they were not going to come to NewSpring. THREE YEARS OLD!!!

We had another kid one Sunday screaming in the parking lot one morning and actually yelled at his parents, “I want to go back to the d*** church!” (I will have to admit that as the pastor…I loved the little dude’s passion—seriously, how often do you hear THAT?)

What I witnessed last night makes me reflect on when I was a kid & how I HATED church. Call me what you will—I HATED IT! (And most of you…if you would just be honest…you hated it as well!)

I tell people that I had a “drug” problem—my mother “drug” me to church every Sunday. I would try to pretend like I was sick…but my mother had a deal…if you are too sick to go to church then you are too sick to play.

It’s amazing—I was usually cured of my illness within a few seconds!

We would go to church and I would go to Sunday school and color some picture…it was usually more of a babysitting service than anything else. (Just being honest!) And THEN I went to the service! Seriously—what child has ever enjoyed “big church?” I would thumb through the hymnal, scan my worship guide for type-o’s, and pray…for it to be over SOON! The pastor NEVER talked about anything that was appropriate to my life—he used big words—and discussed things that I did not understand. Many adults would argue that it was good for me to be in that environment—I would say to the person who told me that, “YOU ARE SMOKING CRACK!”

Other kids in the church were allowed to bring toys, coloring books, and other things to keep them occupied…but not me—my mother at least demanded that I sit up! (Thinking back—just want does a kid learn about Jesus while he is sitting there totally disconnected from the service coloring a picture of GI Joe?)

This was the environment that I grew up in…so when my mother passed away when I was 12 I dropped out of church…because I HATED IT! There was NEVER anything for me—it was like kids were an afterthought!

Dropping out of church…well…I always say that in order to walk with God you need to surround yourself with people who also walk with God. And so…after dropping out…uh, I didn’t walk with God. I did some things I am not proud of—I made some mistakes.

And now I wonder, “What would it have been like if the church where I would have attended had cared enough about children to engage them on their level? What would it have been like if they had spent the money on us kids that they spent on their stained glass windows? What would it have been like if they had provided an atmosphere where kids actually WANTED, no, DEMANDED that they get to come to church?”

Things could have been different! Don’t get me wrong—I am not BLAMING the church…but you would have to agree that, if you grew up in church, you wish there had been more for you!

So at NewSpring we have made an intense effort to offer the same thing for children that we offer adults on Sunday’s—an excellent, creative, and relevant environment where they can learn about Jesus in a way that they can understand and apply. In fact, one of the aspects of our vision is that we do not allow children into the worship service. From time to time this will upset someone…but we have decided to refuse to partner with people who wish to teach their children that God is boring and church is irrelevant.

(And please let me say this…I have heard so many parents say, “But we want to worship as a family.” Parents—you have Monday through Saturday…and if you are NOT worshipping together as a family in those times then you had better not expect your child to think you are godly because you raise your hands in a song. If you are not worshipping all week long your kid will not think you are godly—they will think you are a hypocrite!)

(Oh yeah, for those who think this might offend some people—it does…but 99.9% of the time it is NEVER the people who are lost and unchurched…it is the people from other churches! It was not our intension to create controversy with this—but with people dropping out of church today in RECORD numbers we feel this is a way to combat the issue. And besides—we do not do anything in the main service that would engage a child.)

I was overwhelmed last night…and I know that our children’s ministry is doing an outstanding job. I always tell people who have kids and are considering visiting our church, “Don’t bring them unless you want to come every Sunday—because they are going to have an awesome time!”

Kids ARE worth our attention—our time—our money—our effort. They are NOT the church of tomorrow—they are the church of TODAY! To all who volunteer in our children’s ministry—THANK YOU…you are making a difference…and because of what you are allowing Jesus to do through you I feel that many children will not stray down the path that I took—God is using you to reach them…and this community is a better place for it!