I’ve stated many times from the pulpit and in other communications to my congregation, that the church must place a high value on children and having children in the worship service.  In fact, I’ve often said, the only thing worse than hearing children in the worship service, is the sound of no children in worship—because that means your church is probably dying! 

Having children in worship is not a distraction nor an imposition, rather it is central to God’s ministry to families and to the entire congregation.  This understanding used to be commonplace in the church. But after WWII, with the threat of the Cold War, the church in America began to segregate ministry according to age cohorts in an effort to try and combat communism among youth.  

This led to the rise of specialization in the church and of things such as children’s ministry and youth ministry.  You can learn more about the history of this development in this excellent report, produced by Mars Hill Audio Journal entitled Youth Culture and the Church.

Specialization is not a bad thing, per se, but the loss of children in worship has, on balance, been bad for the church and bad for the faith of our children.  Just read this recent Lifeway study that details the connection between children, worship, and continued faith as an adult.  

Every church should encourage children’s participation in worship to the greatest extent possible.  Many already recognize how important this is and have either kept their child(ren) in worship or have committed to supporting families who do.  

Below are two resources that I think can be helpful in better understanding the biblical necessity of children in worship.  

The first is an article entitled Children as a Part of the Church, written by a pastor named Pawel Bartosik.  In the article, Pastor Bartosik offers twelve reasons why he believes children should participate in the entirety of weekly Sunday worship with God’s people.

The second resource is a book called Parenting in the Pew.  This is a book that my wife and I read and relied on when our children were small.  It is filled with stories, real-life experiences, and tons of practical advice.  

Jesus said, “Out of the lips of babes I have ordained praise” (Matthew 21:16).  Children are meant to be in worship and we should all look forward to having more of them in worship on Sundays.