The desire session has expressed to the congregation to have children in church more than they are at present, has certainly created some good discussion among us. I call it good, because even though there may some disagreement about this desire, it has caused us to think about worship, families and leading little ones to the Lord. Of course, some things I have heard are not good, so let me challenge you to think this through a little more carefully.

Session has not yet finalised its position on how to further the desire to extend and promote family worship, but one thing is for sure, children belong in church. Children being children, however, will not always be quiet little angels, and it seems this is the main point of contention among some.

There are several points that need to be made and considered.

First, looking back in time and making observations about how things were done fifty or more years ago is not helpful. Time has a way of distorting memories that make things look better than they probably were. We also need’  to consider where the children of fifty years ago are today. If we did it so well then, are those children still serving and worshipping the Lord today?

Second, those with hearing impairments are disadvantaged when there are background noises. Hearing aids cannot discriminate between sounds and so distracting sounds mean the words of the main speaker at that moment are lost. This breaks the concentration and can make for a frustrating worship experience.

Third, the Bible Ed (Sunday School) children are in my opinion, for the most part better behaved and quieter than some of us older folks. It is not uncommon to hear rather loud comments being made in the pews in which someone is clearly expressing their annoyance over some matter which is obviously meant to be heard by others. Children who do this are told to be quiet and when they persist their parents are very good at removing them to the foyer to calm them down or be instructed in their behaviour. Those who make the most noises are the very young, the preschoolers who are still learning appropriate behaviour in a worship service.

Fourth, our young parents are extremely sensitive to what their children are doing and how that affects the people around them in the worship service. There have been a few extremely rare occasions when I have asked a parent from the pulpit, to please remove their particularly noisy child from the auditorium. There have also been a few occasions when I have spoken to the parents afterwards to quietly ask them to take their noisy child out a little sooner than they have been. These have also been relatively rare. We need to be sensitive to the anxiety our young families naturally feel, and I for one believe we must all err on the side of tolerance rather than make one of our young families feel unwelcome.

Fifth, there is no question, I am sure, in any of our minds that children need to learn, and part of the learning process involves discipline. Remember however, that sitting in a worship service and participating in worship is something that is learned. It doesn't come in an instant. Perhaps we could all think back to our own childhood and remember honestly how we once were. Tolerance is also something that adults need to learn.

Sixth, the length of time we expect a child to concentrate is an important point, and this also needs to be taken into account. From the pulpit there isn't much that goes unnoticed, and sometimes adults struggle to keep heavy eyelids from falling shut, or are clearly present in body but far away in mind. Our expectations for the children should not outstrip the expectations we have for ourselves.

Finally, perhaps the most important point of all is consideration of the spiritual welfare of the children. This is an important part of the baptism of children where we promise to do all that we can as a congregation to lead the children into the knowledge and love of God. As one mother wrote to session, "one of the main aims for children in church is to train them to worship God - and not just to sit quietly or sit still (sitting and listening is not a particular Christian skill). To teach our kids that Sundays are set aside for rest and corporate worship, and that it is an important part of family life."

As worship services proceed, it seems to me that the most anxiety concerns the time during the preaching of God's Word. It is then when talking, even loud whispers, and moving about are most distracting. Perhaps we could all remember that.’