"Children's Church"

           Matthew 19:13-15

"Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven. And He laid His hands on them and departed from there."

             Matthew 18:2-6

"Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.’"

             It is obvious that The Lord loved children. We should also love the little ones. However, our nation has gone overboard in obsessing over its youth. One noted sociologist has observed that we have created a “child centered” society where everything we do revolves around our children. One outgrowth of this is what is referred to as “Children’s Church” or “Children’s Bible Hour.”

            Children’s church (Bible Hour) is basically a time when the youth are segregated from adults, usually at the same time the adults are engaged in the worship assembly of the church, and allowed to have “their worship.” This is not a new phenomenon. In fact, it is one that was done first by denominational churches years ago, and then “baptized” and brought into the Lord’s church.

            The late brother Guy N. Woods was once asked about this development in the Lord’s body. The following are his remarks:

             “…Do those who advocate the so-called ‘Children’s Church (Bible Hour)’ know that along with this practice, the denominations who practiced it also developed junior elders and deacons to serve in these junior churches?...Do they know that in these children’s assemblies that instrumental music (such as the so-called ‘Jesus Rock’ bands) were brought in to entertain rather than to lead in worship?...”

             To add to brother Woods’ observations...It should be noted that in the denominations where it started, the young people who were raised in “Children’s Church” were rarely if ever successfully incorporated into the ‘Adult Church.’ Rather, they became enamored with the ‘progressive’ style of worship that was so common in ‘Children’s Church’ to the point that they later split off from the older folks and started their own ‘progressive’ churches?...” This is precisely one of the reasons why we are seeing today in churches of Christ the phenomenon of “progressive” worship.

            Children’s Church is not a concept that the early church practiced.   Paul reveals the early church practice in his statement, "Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper," (1 Corinthians 11:20). Likewise, in 1 Corinthians 11:33, Paul told them, "Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another."

            The church should be desirous of meeting together in a collective assembly, rather than dividing up and becoming fragmented when it assembles together for worship. We have precious little time together each week as it is. Things like “Children’s Church” and the “Change Movement’s” obsession with house churches on Sunday night only serve to keep us apart even more.    

            Also, the Bible tells parents to train their children (Ephesians 6:1-4; Proverbs 22:6). Children are trained to participate in the worship assembly by BEING a part of the worship assembly. They see people being baptized, they see men leading in worship, they hear gospel sermons, and are exposed to things such as the Lord’s Supper observance from a very early age. The only way children can see these things is by being a part of the assembly. If they are trained primarily in a “children’s worship” atmosphere, which is usually very different than the “main” worship assembly, the young people then have to be trained all over again when they are finally brought into the “regular” assembly.

            The primary ones who should be training children to walk in the ways of the Lord are their parents (Deuteronomy 6:1-9). One of the most challenging atmospheres to do this training in is the worship assembly, particularly when children are still very young. However, it is also one of the most rewarding, especially over time.   

                                                                                        David Decker