texasmama Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 (edited) We attend a non denominational church. The kids have their own church service (ages kindy on up, the youngers go to nursery) during the same time the adults are meeting for our service. Once a quarter, during a fifth Sunday the kids will be with the adults in the service. ETA: Kids are welcome in the adult service - it is the parent's choice. The youth are in the service with the adults (middle school and up). They have a "cry room" for babies, but people bring babies into the service all the time. We also have a family with a severely autistic son who is 18 - he laughs loudly at times during the service, and everyone has learned that is it Jonathan and not to be distracted. (Our church is about 300 members so smallish.) Edited January 3, 2011 by texasmama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitilin Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 At our church children are with their parents in church, and, frankly, if they weren't, it would not be the church for me. My dh does not attend church with us (never has, except for special occasions), so I leave youngest dc home with him till about age 2.5--3. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannah C. Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 As a child, I never went to children's church. Most of the churches my family attended didn't offer anything during the church service specifically for children, but I remember visiting a couple of churches with children's church and not being able to go to it. At the United Methodist church I attended, children under the age of 12 or so were released to do separate things right before the sermon. At the Foursquare church I attended for a while, the children under 12 or so had children's church during the sermon. The Foursquare church in particular would sometimes have sermons which would not be suitable for children. I currently attend a non-denominational church in which everyone above the age of about 6 or so actually participates in the entire church service. All of these churches had nurseries available for younger kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 We attend a United Methodist Church. The children stay for the whole service. In our previous church, also UMC, they (4 y.o. to 2nd grade) left during the sermon for Childrens Church (not Sunday School, that is held at the same time as adult SS) and came back at the end of the sermon. Childrens Church was a lesson at their level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petepie2 Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 I go to a Baptist Church. We do have a "children's church" for kids age 4-8 during the Pastor's message. However, my children don't attend it. My older two kids (age 4 and 6) sit with us and the younger two are in the nursery. I will pull them out of nursery when they turn 3 yrs old to sit through the worship service with us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnitaMcC Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 At our church children are with their parents in church, and, frankly, if they weren't, it would not be the church for me. My dh does not attend church with us (never has, except for special occasions), so I leave youngest dc home with him till about age 2.5--3. :D This is what I did too-LOL. Figured if Dh wasn't going to attend with me.. then he can entertain the younger kids while I went to church with the older ones. In general I started taking the kids to church once they were potty trained-LOL. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahj Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 We are Catholic and our daughter stays with us during mass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDmom Posted January 3, 2011 Author Share Posted January 3, 2011 This is so interesting for me to read everyone's responses. Thanks for sharing, everyone! It was really odd for me when someone came up to us to tell me about the children's classes and nursery. I turned to my dad and stammered something like, "Are all the children expected to leave?" :001_huh: I ended up asking them if they wanted to go to the SS class, and they all did, so it was fine. It never even occurred to me to put my 16 mo old in the nursery. In our church "nursery" refers to a SS class specifically for children aged 18 mo to 3 yo. Before that, they stay with the adults for all 3 hours of our church meetings. I totally understand needing to have dc with someone else during services, though. I've had many conversations with other women at church wondering why we bother to come to church when are children are little. I've finally reconciled myself to it and I see the value of bringing the kids and eventually training them to sit still for an hour. Sometimes it's even fun to have "hallway Sunday School" with other moms as we follow our restless toddlers around. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachpotato Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 I attend a non-denominational charismatic church. Nursery/preschoolers get picked up/dropped off before and after every service. Sun AM K-8 stays through announcements/worship/offering and leaves before the sermon. High schoolers stay in. Sun PM and midweek K-12 leave after offering. Our kids/youth are encouraged to go to their own services partly because sometimes sermons have content not so suitable for younger ears. Plus, our kids learn more/have a better time that way. If we have a guest speaker, grades 6-12 often stay in at the discretion of the youth leaders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baseball mom Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Baptist. After the greeting and 1st songs children are dismissed to children's church. Our kiddos have gone a few times but 99% of the time they stay with us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WiseOwlKnits Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I'm Presbyterian. The kids stay with us for the entire service. There is a nursery you can send babies to if you want. We never have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silliness7 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 (edited) Our church does not have any special children's service or program during the worship service. There is a nursery for under 3's but many (most) families do not even use that. I use it because I have no idea how to get toddlers to sit still and am amazed at those who can. Truly! I've been in churches with "children's church" and I prefer the children to stay in worship. We belong to a United Reformed congregation. Our service is about 1 1/2 hours. ETA: The children do have Sunday School and Catechism classes following the worship service. Adults don't have SS so parents just hang out. Edited January 5, 2011 by silliness7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silliness7 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 My son stays with me and I love that. I have heard of churches that don't allow children in the sanctuary at all. Shocking, I tell ya. That is shocking what with "let the little children come unto me" and all. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celia Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 My kids stay with me for the service. We have sunday school classes seperately first (kids in their own classes) but for the memorial meeting (and exhortation followed by bread and wine) the kids are all there. I'm Christadelphian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrappyhappymama Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 We're non-denominational church of Christ. We have bible classes for all ages, including adults. The classes start at 9 months- "cradle roll" class is too cute! But it is up to parent's discretion when to start their wee ones in classes, and infants stay in the adult classes with their parents. After Bible classes, the entire congregation assembles together for worship service, nothing separate for children. We do have a cry room with speakers for parents to take hungry or restless children to, but no staffed nursery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margo out of lurking Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Calvary Chapels are churches that often request children under 7 not be in the sanctuary. They are not a denomination but rather a group of loosely affiliated churches, so the "rule" may vary from church to church. At many, you will be directly approached and told your child cannot be in the sanctuary. There has been one horrible occasion I've seen this handled with no grace, and it was terribly upsetting to more than just the family involved. The service is worship, brief announcements, and then a pretty intense 60 minute Bible study. Children are distracting, not only to their parents, but also to those around them. Even if you leave to go to the bathroom, some churches request that you either do not return to the sanctuary, or that you take a seat in back. The children's service is taught at the child's level. (I'm just repeating, I'm not necessarily agreeing.) I did not want my kids in the children's service for several reasons, including our desire for family worship. My ds could "pass" as old enough, but he couldn't sit still. For a year or so, dh and I would instead listen to the radio broadcast at home. We moved, changed churches, and my children were old enough to come in the sanctuary. They preferred that and never went to a children's service. But I'm guessing that if my son was in an age appropriate study, I wouldn't have to remind him that it's not okay to draw Zelda or Star Wars or Bionicles pictures in church. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda in TX Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 We have an early service, Sunday School, then late service. (you go to one service or the other) Our church has a "children's worship" that begins when the sermon begins during the second service. This is for children ages 2-5. Other than that, they are in the service with us. When our kids were that age,wWe did put our kids in children's worship for awhile, but finally decided we'd rather have them with us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 We are Catholic and Sunday school (CCD classes) are prior to mass. DD goes to Sunday school then we pick her up and we all go to Mass as a family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
May Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 LCMS here. Our dds always stayed throughout the whole service. We have attended churches that after the children's message, the kids leave and have their own worship time. My dh and I felt it very important that they stay with us for a variety of reasons. This is one area where I definitely have a strong opinion but what worked for our family, may not work for others. I respect that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8circles Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Evangelical Covenant Church. It's a small, older church, which means my kids are usually the only ones there. But we have in place a nursery/mother's room with someone always in there. They read a simple bible story to the kids (and as soon as we get a cd player they'll listen to a song, too.) We also have a 5-12 "One Room Sunday School" class. The children stay though worship and prayers, and then are excused to class before the sermon starts. Also Evangelical Covenant here. Kids are welcome to stay during the service but they do offer children's church most Sundays for kids 4-2nd grade. There's also a little lesson in the nursery during the service. On non-children's church days there's usually a children's sermon & the pastor tries to make the main sermon more interesting for the kids. Sunday school is before the service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 "praise hula" Mrs. Mungo Cool! I'll have to tell dd; she's in our liturgical dance group! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 (edited) In our Episcopal church (ours--other Episcopal churches vary), children preschool thru 2nd grade have their own Children's Church liturgy (music, prayers, simplified creed, "sermon," and usually some coloring or other little bulletin paper to finish). Then they return to the main church service and participate in the second half of the service, which is Eucharist (first half being hymns, readings, sermon, prayers, confession). We also have a children's sermon in the main service (when they return) once a month, where they gather at the font in the middle of the sanctuary and hear a few words from one of the priests. After 2nd grade, the kids are in the main service the whole time. Sunday School for all ages (adult, too) takes place after the 9 am service and is divided by age/grade. Wanted to add that it's the parents' choice whether or not to send their littles to Children's Church. We also have a nursery for babies and very young toddlers--most parents bring babies in, drop toddlers off, and reclaim their toddlers from the nursery right before Eucharist, so the whole family goes to the rail together. Edited January 5, 2011 by Chris in VA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 We keep our dc with us and always have. We have attended churches that run from pressuring us non-stop to use the "Children's Church" to churches that don't even offer anything for children during the service. Right now, we are in a church that has a children's program for 3-7 yos and a nursery. Our ds is too old for the program, so we don't have to deal with refusing it. :001_smile: We trained them from a young age to sit nicely and listen. We don't take any toys or food, but they may read their Bibles quietly up until about age 4 or 5, when they are then expected to listen to the sermon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 My son stays with me and I love that. I have heard of churches that don't allow children in the sanctuary at all. Shocking, I tell ya. We went to one like that. We kept them anyway. :D We soon found out why they kept them out, though, when they began showing clips of R-rated movies during the sermon "to illustrate a point in the sermon." :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 We are Catholic and our children go to mass with us. They do have a preschool Sunday school but that meets only 20 times a year. Our church also has had a nursery on and off - volunteer run. But most families do not use that. Only those whose children are going through a difficult phase. Once I got brave enough, we sat in front so the kids could actually see. Also, I held the kids through toddlerhood and would whisper a play-by-play in their ears so they would understand what was going on. I was also able to point out important things to my other kids. We kept quiet toys and books that were specially for church until the kids were old enough to use the kid worship aids that had puzzles and quizzes tied to the readings. We also do (and did) the readings ahead of time with the kids during the week, so they would be able to get more out of it. There was this fantastic website that had excellent commentary for kids on the readings, plus activities that you can do. Unfortunately, this woman no longer does it. I got so much out of it. Those younger years were very trying, but we are seeing the fruits of our efforts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gratia271 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 We keep our dc with us and always have. We have attended churches that run from pressuring us non-stop to use the "Children's Church" to churches that don't even offer anything for children during the service. :001_smile: We trained them from a young age to sit nicely and listen. We don't take any toys or food, but they may read their Bibles quietly up until about age 4 or 5, when they are then expected to listen to the sermon. :iagree: We have always kept our children with us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melora in NC Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 (edited) Episcopalian. At our church children stay with parents during the service. At our old church in Florida, children went out for a children's "Sunday school" for part of the service but were back in time for communion. (I prefer having them in the regular service with us.) e.t.a. We have Sunday school for adults and children (separately) in the hour before the service begins. Edited January 5, 2011 by Melora in NC incomplete answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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