Agreed, I think we can agree on that.
As I said in my opening post, I understand where my friend is coming from. I think he mistakenly believes that providing Children's Church for young children such as his daughter (who has fetal alcohol syndrome) they are being responsible parents.
As I previously indicated this is a matter that until fairly recently, was not even an issue I really thought about.
It is also an issue that unfortunately is not taught in the majority of Churches. This includes most Churches who teach the doctrines of grace. Is it any wonder why many Christians don`t understand the importance of every member of the family being part of a worship service.
Thinking back to when my own children were young, they had children`s Church and though around that time, I discovered the doctrines of grace. The only issue concerning children`s Church that crossed my mind, was what my children were being taught.
My experience back then with parents, who insisted on keeping their children with them, was in a few cases very negative.
For instance, one three year old escaped his parents and ran to the pastor while he was in the middle of his sermon. My pastor at the time rolled with it and it caused a few laughs, but the parents were clearly embarrassed.
I have to admit that at the time I was probably thinking that these parents were being irresponsible by not letting their children go to Children`s Church. Yet had my understanding been that children should stay to worship with their parents; I might have been a little more sympathetic to those parents.
With my knowledge of the issue back then, I certainly didn`t think I was being irresponsible for sending my children to Children`s Church. Both my wife and I love our children and tried to do what we thought was best for them.
Tom
