tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8932528227908771043.post823793011561749539..comments2023-09-18T10:52:05.908-05:00Comments on Kingdom in Kate: Family-Integrated ChurchKati Potratzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00829599971228281598noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8932528227908771043.post-64658134421637670912012-03-29T14:07:56.589-05:002012-03-29T14:07:56.589-05:00Hi Kati,
I think I could break my head off noddin...Hi Kati,<br /><br />I think I could break my head off nodding vehemently to so many points of this post. I have a strong belief that parents should be in worship with their kids. I whole-heartedly agree that kids learn best by example. Also having been in ministry, I saw for sure that what really matters in whether kids sustain faith is their parents, not the youth director or cool pastor. Those ministries are great and important as SUPPLEMENTS to the parents and home, but they are not SUBSTITUTES for parents and home. Martin Luther said the family is a little church and the parents are like the pastors of the home. <br /><br />I love this: "You can have the coolest youth leaders on the planet, but kids will still end up believing what their parents say over everyone else." Yes, yes, and yes!<br /><br />I also believe in having kids be as involved as possible at church. I wrote about this here: http://flatheadmama.blogspot.com/2011/03/toddler-can-get-something-out-of-church.html<br /><br />When I was a kid, my Mom would never take me to the nursery when I misbehaved because she felt it was teaching me, "Misbehave and you get to go to the nursery and play!" She would take me and have me face a white wall until I calmed down. I did learn to sit quietly at church. I think that my approach with Grace is to encourage her to whisper if she has to talk, to play or color quietly, and to participate if possible (but we're still working on that last part). She does not get to play in the nursery during church. Worship time is important for her to be at too. <br /><br />I think nurseries are important to have as a hospitality measure of reaching out to young families...it makes them feel at home and nobody should feel guilty for using one, because at least they are THERE at church. But...I believe it is far better for kids to be in the worship service with their parents (Mom AND Dad).<br /><br />Also, the belief of how little children can have faith and how it shows that faith comes from God and not from some exalted intellect is why we decided to let Burrito take communion at 2 1/2. That's pretty young, but we felt she was ready and that God's grace is not dependent on us understanding everything (what adult does??) but on God's gift to us. We felt a simple ability to grasp the basic idea of Jesus forgiving our sins through communion sufficed. Some might even say if the child has asked Jesus into their hearts or been baptized, that is sufficient. I could lean in that direction. <br /><br />I want to add, though, that I think that there is value to age-segregation when it comes not to worship but teaching time. While we can learn in a group, I think we learn more effectively (or differently?) when our developmental abilities and level of understanding is utilized. I sat in with Burrito's Sunday School class last year and saw how good it was for explaining and translating and reaching out to someone her age. Similarly, we find it very valuable to gather young parents at our church and have a teaching time just for them, with the distractions of kids removed. That is such a gift because, as a parent, you rarely have quiet time to reflect on faith. I think we need time when we are all together as a community, but we also need time in separate groups (including men and women separate at times) in order that our more specific needs might be addressed and more specific teaching might happen.<br /><br />Thanks for a great post!Rebeccahttp://www.flatheadmama.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.com