Helen Tyte

Kids in Church

St. Mark’s Church in Bermuda has a growing, thriving church family, and is very blessed to have a healthy ever-expanding Junior Church. Last week part of the Bible reading included the command Jesus gave to his disciples to ‘let the children come’ to him, and I thanked our congregation for their patience with our little ones. They aren’t always quiet, they can’t always sit still, but they are always learning, especially from the grown ups around them. In school and in Junior Church we teach them to contribute to discussions, we encourage their participation, we want them to speak up and join in. Sometimes people may find it difficult to hear some of the worship when a child near them is being vocal, but we should take it as a great reminder to us that any church is lucky to have these special little members. The parents face the weekly battle of getting their little ones ready and out of the door in time for our worship, and allow us to share their children with them. It won’t be too many years before these little ones are taking their own babies to church, and how amazing it will be for them to feel loved and welcomed enough to bring future generations to be a part of any church family. These children are our future, and we embrace their presence, no matter how noisy or wriggly they are! Working with little ones may not always be easy, but the best way for them to learn is by example and by us following this saying:
‘Let them be little.’

On the way to the church service a Sunday school teacher once asked her pupils, “Why do we have to be quiet in church?” One little girl replied, “Because people are sleeping.”

Six-year-old Angie and her four-year-old brother Joel were sitting together in church. Joel giggled, sang, and talked out loud. Finally, his big sister told him off. “You’re not supposed to talk out loud in church.” “Why? Who’s going to stop me?” Joel asked. Angie pointed to the back of the church and said, “See those two men standing by the door? They’re hushers.”