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I am reading a book called Jaded,( were I heard about this site) and as I was readiong, I started to think a home church is ok for me,I'm single,but what about my married friends with kids.Dont they miss out on group activities at church. What is the experience that other kids have had in these type of churches?
It is simply because so many of us jhave been conditioned by religious systems which either do not understand what the church is intended to be by God, or else are not interested in treating the church as a family, that we have difficulty seeing how children can be integrated into rather than segregated from church gatherings!
Was it not God's idea that babies be placed into families which are cared for by adults? Families do not need to segregate children from adults and neither do churches which function according to God's pattern! You will not find anything like age graded Sunday schools, or children's church in scripture! Nor will you find young people's programs etc.
It has been our experience that teaching that is incomprehensible to children usually goes "right over the heads" of the adults as well! But if one can speak so that children understand, then MOST of the adults will probably undertsnad too! We have been in house churches where children were not only present, not only understanding, not only enjoying the gatherings but were a tremendous blessing to adults as they prayed and ministered to others in an atmosphere where they knew they were allowed and encouraged to be active participants! I have never seen young people enjoy church as much as these! In one particular gathering, a full 50% of the gathering of about 10 families was under the age of 21. These included toddlers, young children, teens and those in college or careers.
We had nothing resembling S.S. classes or "young peoples' programs" but all worshipped and minsitered together as a family.
If children are not made welcome, ministered to and given oppportunities to minister to others, something is wrong and not functioning according to scripture!
Your brother in Christ, Bruce Woodford Norwich, Ontario, Canada
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Bruce, How encouraging to hear about the activity of children in "church" as normal. I currently attend a IC and they full heartedly believe in releasing children into ministry and everything that adults can do. We have seen people healed of cancer, serious back problems and everything in between when the children have prayed for people. The kingdom belongs to these!
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In the "traditional" gathering they separate families as they walk in the door. Children go here, teens go here, adults, singles and so on.
That is far removed from what we see of the gathering of the saints on the Lord's day. They met together to "fellowship". Never do we see the exclusion of children.
In our gathering young couples are encouraged to bring soft toys for their younger children to use as not to distract the rest of us. If a child becomes unruly, the parent steps out of the room and has a heart to heart talk with the child.
We feast upon the Word and also around the table, including the Lord's supper. What a joy it is during this time.
Our meetings include sharing of problems we have had during the week, prayer time, singing, sharing of Scripture and a short teaching time. All is interactive, including the teaching time. The length of time is anywhere from 1 to 2 hours, and everyone cannot get over how the time flies. When you are part of the fellowship and not just "pew bumb" it is never a drag. The main purpose of coming together is to build each other up in the Lord. It is not a time of deep theological debate, that is scheduled for another day during the week.
We leave full, both spiritually and from a good meal.
L, enjoy the children of others, you will amazed at how much they will learn from you.
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Amen to your words, Vern. We need to enjoy the company of the younger ones and to delight in them as gifts from God. This, to me, is where true eldership enters the picture.
Have you all noticed that the scriptures address the children several times, that the apostles preached to them (Acts 16, "whole household"), and that Jesus interacted with them against the protests of older ones? He invited them to "come" to him rather than commanding the adults to escourt them. Is it conceivable that He invited children, the likes of which the true Kingdom consists, to come to Himself, that he took them into his arms and then failed to verbally interact with them? The context of this event, btw, was a teaching session. Mark 10.
My point is that the church meetings don't have to be all adult talk.
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