Matthew 19:14 reads, “Let the little children come to me.” But if you were raised on the KJV, you might have heard it this way: “Suffer the little children.” Tragically, I fear we’ve taken this older translation a bit too literally. Adults “suffer” if children are around them in church. So by all means, let’s keep them separated.

Dynamic and engaging children’s ministry is a vital part of any thriving church. Providing a kid-friendly and age-appropriate environment for young believers to encounter Jesus and be discipled not only grows spiritually healthy children, it can be a major selling point for parents looking for a church home. But could it become an excuse to put kids out of sight and out of mind? 

I can remember a time when children and parents worshiping separately was unheard of. Growing up, there was at least one service a week when I would sit next to my parents, singing songs along with them and hearing the same sermon. 

Today, though, many churches have only one weekend worship experience. Children programing is provided and encouraged at the same time adults enjoy their own service. We have created an atmosphere that leaves no room for children and parents to worship and experience God together. I think this should change.

Show and Tell

Kids learn by watching and doing. From the beginning of their development, as babies mimicking the facial expressions of parents, children take visual cues from adults and translate them into actions. This is just as true in church as it is in our homes. 

I recall many Sunday evenings spent in church watching those older than me worship, hearing them pray out loud, seeing the look of joy or the anguish on their faces as they praised God and interceded for lost loved ones or the sick. It was so impactful to me as a young child. It’s one of the key reasons I’m in ministry today. I hope my own children have the same experience.

If the Church hopes to win the next generation for Jesus, then we need to be intentional about creating more spiritual moments. Not just for adults, but for children of all ages, boys and girls and men and women. 

How often do the children in your church see their parents worshiping God, raising their hands, praying for others or studying the Bible? Hopefully within their own homes they’re actively doing these things. But realistically we know that’s not always the case. The weekend worship service could provide an opportunity for parents to model this to their children.

Think about the benefits of a distraction-free time slot for families as well. Where else can a family unit in today’s culture find an hour or more of uninterrupted time where they are all participating together? Hardly anywhere. If churches can provide that, then seeking families will find it naturally appealing.

It doesn’t have to end at the door of the church, though. If children and parents share a common worship experience, they can talk about it in the car ride home, over Sunday dinner or later in the week. That worship experience creates a common pathway for families to grow together. Your church can be a catalyst for grounding the next generation in authentic faith.

How Often Should You Do This?

There are some issues involved in this, though. For one, if children are always present in the adult worship environment then you may be forced to limit your subject matter. You won’t be able to address certain topics that are intended for a mature audience. And catering your message to an all-ages group can be difficult. Even when you put spiritual truths on the bottom shelf, they may still fly over the heads of young school-age children. 

One solution is to provide this combined worship once a month, during special occasions or only during evening services. Be strategic about how you plan out and execute these ideas, though. Make sure you’re intentional about every aspect of the service.

Another way to get kids and parents worshiping together is by syncing all areas of your church. Make a list of all your available discipleship pathways, whether it’s Sunday School, small groups, age-specific environments or weekend worship settings.

Now make sure that you’re all on the same page. It may be helpful to cover the same passages of Scripture in every area at the same time, or even use similar teaching material so that the main point is reinforced across all age groups.

Another way to sync up your ministries is by employing the same worship set in all areas each weekend. Kids will be comfortable singing along with their parents when attending an adult service because they’ll be familiar with the songs. It’s also a way for family members to share worship experiences outside of church every week.

One parent told me that the family loves being able to sing the same songs together on the ride home from church since they’ve just sang the exact set, even though the family members were in different environments.

Creating Moments

If the Church hopes to win the next generation for Jesus, then we need to be intentional about creating more spiritual moments. Not just for adults, but for children of all ages, boys and girls and men and women. We need to be very honest about the function of our current children’s ministries and how they’re preparing our kids for their next steps.

We’ve built too many walls around ministry areas. In our desire to specialize, I think we’ve ended up segmenting too many groups. I’m not suggesting we tear it all down and start from scratch. But we do need a healthy dose of reorganization.

When parents and children worship together, good things happen. When we focus on the next generation of believers and leaders, we put our churches in position to continue growing for decades to come. And when we focus on the family unit, we prioritize those parts of our faith that remind us God is our Father, we are His children, and we have an incredible relationship to celebrate.