Children in Worship Part 2: Two resources for guiding our children in worship

Robbie Castleman is the author of the main book you'll find about including children in worship.  She first published the book in 1993, then in 2002, and her newest version which is revised and expanded is 2013.   Published by IVP (Intervarsity Press).  It's a good resource on including children in worship, and I'll do a review of the book in another post. 

But what I want you to notice is her subtitle:  guiding your children into the joy of worship.  I think this is the perspective that most parents loose in the Sunday morning, often very sanctifying job of getting the whole family ready and out the door to church on time and ready for the full morning.  JOY is why we go- it's a joy to go to church and celebrate God. And children love a good celebration. So make Sundays not just sacred but special. 

Here's a perspective that I shared in the discussion of children in worship with our leadership. 

One thing that I have found in all the research is: since Corporate Worship is important to you the parent- and therefore to your children- Your attitude is everything.  Children need to hear the excitement, the joy, that you bring to attending the meetings of the local church.  

So often we let the stress of getting the whole family out the door together, on what many view as a 'sleep in' day, make the transition to church be one of stress and fear for children.  

So we need to work to prepare for this most important time together in our week, by having joyful attitudes, and prepare so that the morning can be calm, joyous, and fun.  Just as this new change has been prayed over and planned-- so do our weekly plans to meet together.  Our actions show what is important to us- and to our children.  And our children follow suit.  If we are excited and prepared, they join in. 

Here are some practical ways to make this happen:

1) Make Sunday's a celebration EVERY week.  Help your child to see that attending the meetings of the church are central to YOUR life, and talk about it as a joy, have an attitude that is displayed of heading to a celebration, party, joyous event.  When your children know something is important to you, they will adopt that attitude.   

2) Prepare your children of the routine or order of the morning.  Main church (some call it big church), Sunday School, then home for lunch.  OR Sunday school, then coffee time, then Big church.  What's the plan for the day.  It also helps to share the service order, bulletin, routine, even with visuals for the children to follow.  

3) Prepare your heart for worship, by reading about the topic, theme, or assigned passages, so that you can respond in worship.  Even better if you share the theme, verse or passage with your family and prepare the children to listen with intent with a question or wonder they have after reading the Word together.  

Another helpful resource is Truth 78's blog.    It focuses on how parents can raise up the next generation as godly people.   

Here is a link to an article called Keep Your Children in Worship for Worship at the end of the post, there is a link for 8 tips for helping your child worship.  It's a nice half page, front and back tip sheet.  

There is also a 5 post series on Children in Worship that I found helpful.  

I love this quote, and I am thankful my parents included me in worship as a child, teaching me it was the Breaking of Bread weekly that was central to gathering together as a local church weekly.  

Worship is the most valuable thing a human can do. The cumulative effect of 650 worship services spent with Mom and Dad between the ages of 4 and 17 is incalculable.

(John and Noël Piper, “The Family: Together in God’s Presence,” January 1, 1996)

Here's a link from the blog- that shares John Piper answering the question, Should Children sit through Big Church?