“Let the Little Children Come”: A Brief Case for Welcoming Children into Corporate Worship

Abstract: Zack DiPrima makes the case that children should be welcomed into the church’s corporate gathering based on the examples and instructions we have in the Bible. While including younger children may initially have its challenges, the opportunities it provides for evangelizing and discipling the next generation far outweigh any potential costs. The church’s gathering shapes children as they are exposed to God’s Word and the gathered worship of his people.

If you’ve ever worked in an office, you’ve probably heard of “Take Your Child to Work Day.” On this occasion, parents bring their son or daughter to the workplace to see what Dad or Mom do for a living. It’s a refreshing and sweet distraction from the day’s activities.

“Take Your Child to Work Day” also reinforces a basic notion—the office is no place for a child. Not only do children have limited ability to understand the activities of an adult workplace, but they also pose a threat of distracting adults from their main objective at the office: to work.

When it comes to our children, I fear many of us are tempted to view corporate worship like the workplace. From our children’s perspective, it’s possible for them to take interest in aspects of a Sunday gathering, but ultimately, it’s not for them. From the parents’ perspective, children—especially very young children—pose an impediment to adults engaging in the worship service. Though I see legitimacy in these perspectives, it’s important to affirm that corporate worship is not like the workplace. Rather, corporate worship is, in fact, for children. The goal of this article is to present a rationale for why churches should joyfully welcome children, even little children, into their main Sunday gatherings.

Why Children Should Be Welcome in Corporate Worship 

 At my church, though we provide childcare for kids aged three and under, we expect those four and older to join their parents in our main service. Some parents choose to bring their kids into the service at younger ages. There’s a lot of freedom here. We also acknowledge that many healthy churches will have different sensibilities on this issue. Some churches don’t offer childcare, thinking all children, infants included, must be in the service. This is not my view. Meanwhile, it has become especially common for many churches to offer “age-appropriate” instruction for kids as old as eleven or twelve. Though these churches vary in the quality of such programs and are usually well-intentioned, I would like to gently encourage them to lower the age. The rest of this article will share some biblical and philosophical arguments for my perspective and then some closing applications.

The Bible Normalizes Children in Gathered Worship 

In the Old Testament, we’re frequently told of the involvement of children in corporate worship. We’re told “little ones” heard Joshua read the whole Law of Moses in the assembly of God’s people (Josh. 8:34–35). “Little ones” and “children” stood with their parents to hear the Word of God in 2 Chronicles 20. Young ones heard prophecy and confession of sin in the assembly in Ezra 10. In Deuteronomy 31, we see all Israel was expected to gather for the Feast of Booths:

Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess. (Deut. 31:12–13, emphasis added)

As an interesting wrinkle to this pattern, when Ezra read the Law before the assembly in Nehemiah 8, he read to “both men and women and all who could understand.” Who could understand is unclear, but it’s reasonable to assume that this group excluded infants. Regardless, the Old Testament presents a rather vivid portrait of corporate worship as an environment that included children, even very young children.

The New Testament doesn’t seem to present a contrary picture. First, the Lord Jesus dignified children throughout his earthly ministry. Children were present when he fed the multitudes, the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels. The same children were present for the instruction that followed these feedings. Jesus used a child as a breathtaking illustration for trust in God (Matt. 18:1–4). He memorably charged his disciples, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:14). Though these examples are not in the context of gathered worship, they all occurred in the context of multi-generational ministry and discipleship.

For our purposes, Paul’s epistles might be the most instructive on this point. In Ephesians and Colossians, Paul addresses children directly: “Children, obey your parents in everything for this pleases the Lord” (Col. 3:20). Paul expects children to be present in the gatherings of these local churches as his letters were read. Further, given a first-century context where teenagers were generally viewed as adults, Paul would have likely had children twelve and under in mind. Clearly, the Bible normalizes the presence of children in corporate church gatherings.

Corporate Worship Should Be Multigenerational 

The inclusion of children in corporate worship is a part of a broader view of the local church: namely, it is to comprise a variety of generations and backgrounds. One of the problems with churches that overemphasize “age-and-stage” programs is that such ministries tend to divide the local church into disparate silos. A robust “children’s church” program, 9 a.m. traditional services, and 11 a.m. contemporary services tell the world that Christians unite around styles of worship rather than the object of worship. Age-and-stage programs certainly have their place in the life of most churches, but when they literally divide a congregation in the essential feature of its life (the main Sunday gathering), they damage a church’s witness.

The local church is where young and old thrive together as they share in the filling of the Spirit (Eph. 5:18–21). The apostle John exhorted both young men and fathers at the same time, acknowledging their respective strengths to benefit the whole body (1 John 2). The apostle Paul charged older women to teach younger women how to love their husbands and children (Titus 2). The Bible’s blueprint for the life of the local church––both gathered and scattered––is profoundly multigenerational. When we bar children from our gatherings, we imply that the church is not united in worship, nor is it for children.

Children Should See Their Parents Worship God  

The greatest charge given to parents is to raise their children in the fear and instruction of the Lord. One of the too often neglected means of accomplishing this task is children seeing Mom and Dad heartily entering into the gathered worship of God’s people. Children learn something about the Lord by how their parents listen to sermons, recite creeds, join in corporate prayer, and sing God’s praises. To put a finer point on this, children will discern what their parents believe by what they sing on Sunday, but they’ll learn if their parents believe by how they sing on Sunday. Authentic Christian worship is one of the most strategic tools of evangelism in our gatherings, especially when it comes to our children.

“Children’s Church” Programs Can Have Major Liabilities 

Historically speaking, the concept of “children’s church” as an “age-appropriate” alternative for a church’s main gathering is an invention of the twentieth century. Though well-intentioned, programs that separate children from the local gathering for years on end are fraught with problems. First, it’s a ministry that requires significant volunteer resources. It usually requires many adults to regularly give up time in the main gathering. Ordinarily, a strong children’s church program can only be sustained by a medium-sized or large church. This reinforces a cycle of commodifying the ministry of the church. We train people to come to church for the amenities of non-essential ministries. Over time, Christians shop for churches that will provide these amenities. Smaller churches then feel the need to develop fancy programs to attract people rather than emphasizing the ordinary means of grace. This vicious cycle has played on repeat for over a half-century in the wake of the church growth movement.

Second, children’s church has contributed to the juvenilization of churches. The instinct that divides the local church in favor of a ministry that children will find readily accessible and entertaining is the same impulse that often silos older students from the church’s life as well. As children age, parents think they need a youth ministry with peppier music and entertaining teaching to reach their kids. The trend shows that such kids, if converted, are won over to a more performative-based ministry. So what happens next? They seek out similar ministries when they go to college. On into adulthood, if they look for a local church, they usually try to find one that is high production and youth-oriented. This pattern has undoubtedly contributed to the watering down of so many local churches. Sadly, some evangelical churches feel more like a stage show followed by a self-help talk than anything rooted in a historical tradition. The fact that churches feel more like youth camps than a historically rooted faith community is downstream from a programmatic instinct that insists on age-tailored ministry. This has not redounded to the greater maturity of the church at large.

Application 

Though we think it’s wonderful to have children in our services, it is certainly not without challenges. Because of this, I want to close with some reflections on frequently asked questions and concerns.

“Won’t My Child Find It Difficult to Understand Everything in the Main Gathering?”  

Probably. However, the goal of a Christian worship service is not the total comprehension of all in attendance. In other words, it’s okay if children don’t understand everything. I encourage parents to highlight to their kids what they can understand. When we sing “Jesus, What a Friend of Sinners,” talk to them about what true friendship is. After taking the Lord’s Supper, explain the drama of the gospel displayed in the ordinance. When the preacher is explaining the basic elements of the gospel in a sermon, give a friendly elbow to your nine-year-old to lean in. Some parents challenge their children by giving them a list of words to listen out for in a sermon (“cross,” “gospel,” “Father,” “sacrifice,” “sin,” etc.). If their child checks off every word, they get a reward. Regardless of how you help your child understand the gathering, they will inevitably understand with greater depth the grandeur of Christian worship.

“Won’t My Child Find Corporate Worship Boring?” 

More than likely. They probably think many things that are good for them are boring––like chores and broccoli. It’s okay if children don’t find corporate worship readily entertaining. Frankly, many adults don’t find church gatherings entertaining. Thankfully, our chief aim in worship is not to be entertained; it’s to be edified to the glory of God. The Christian’s call in worship is to encounter God through the ordinary means of grace. We preach the Word, pray the Word, read the Word, sing the Word, and see the Word. Through all these means, the Word of Christ dwells in us richly. To the soul well-attuned to God’s will, corporate worship will be exhilarating. Of course, we don’t pursue experiences, we pursue God, and experiences inevitably follow. For this reason, I challenge parents to consider their physical and emotional posture in corporate worship. I’m not saying a Christian must raise his hands or emote in any way that’s inconsistent with his or her personality. But whatever one’s mode of showing reverence, awe, or excitement is, it ought to be manifested in public worship. Children will remember what excited their parents and moved their souls. Every church service is an opportunity for parents to inform the moral intuitions and shape the affections of their children.

“Won’t My Child Be a Distraction to Me or Others in the Service?” 

 Possibly. But the local church is a family at the end of the day. I often exhort the church members to endeavor not to be a distraction and endeavor not to be distracted. Though we want to remove distractions from our gatherings as much as possible, they are inevitable and when they occur, we extend grace. If you’re a parent who’s deep in the trenches of pew-training, be encouraged that this is a season that will soon pass. Each Sunday is an opportunity to invest in the long-term spiritual health of your child.

“Should I Care about This If I Don’t Have Children?” 

 Absolutely. Part of a local church’s responsibility is not merely to equip parents to disciple their children, but also to display a community of blood-bought saints who have been changed by the power of the gospel. Belonging to the family of God engenders a spiritual interest not only in one’s own biological children but all the children of his or her church family. This means if you’re a member of a local church, each Lord’s Day is an opportunity to evangelize and disciple the children in your gathering. You share a stewardship to help their parents train them for service in the kingdom of Christ and the enjoyment of heaven.

Conclusion  

Only the eternal ages of the New Heavens and New Earth will be able to quantify God’s marvelous grace accomplished through corporate worship. Which of us can tell what God is doing through every sermon, every song, every prayer, every confession of sin, every recitation of a creed, every celebration of the Lord’s Supper? God is doing great things through gathered worship, and children should be there as witnesses.