- Smile at children and their parents. No scowling! Greet them.
- Children are not the future of the church, they are the church. At baptism, we welcome them to God’s family and promise to journey with them.
- Catch their interest, wonder, and enthusiasm. Answer their questions.
PREPARING FOR WORSHIP
- Be a positive role model. Express your joy and enthusiasm.
- Make worship a special time, preparing clothes and offering and special traditions, like a favorite breakfast before church.
- Do family devotions, to teach prayer, songs, reverence, and God’s story.
- Use a worship bag or bring your child’s bible, bible coloring or storybook.
- Describe the behavior you want in positive terms. Be realistic and developmentally appropriate about your expectations.
PARTICIPATING IN WORSHIP
- Attend worship regularly. Children learn by repetition and reinforcement.
- Arrive early, so you can get settled in, answer questions, and point out important, interesting things about the sanctuary.
- Sit where children can see and hear.
- Help children follow the service in the bulletin and hymnal, and model participation and enthusiasm.
- Speak in a whisper, close to your child’s ear.
- Step out of the sanctuary, if your child is having a hard time. Return as soon as your child is calm.
BELONGING TO THIS FAITH FAMILY
- Learn the names of the children and welcome them by name.
- Greet the children and share the peace with them.
- Thank children and their parents for coming to worship. This is how a church family is supposed to look and sound.
- If you are distracted by a child’s activity, pray for that child.
- Look for a way you can help – sit in the pew with the parent and child, offer a piece of paper and pencil, show where we are in the bulletin.
- Children already belong … God announces that in baptism!