Margo out of lurking Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 well apparently I am a different kind of person than most here, but that is nothing new. I thought I'd get some support for my 3 yo crying because he doesn't get to go to cubbies tonight, guess i was wrong But your question was "What do YOU think." :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsJewelsRae Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 Our church has a youth Bible study every Friday night. Recently one of the meetings was canceled because the majority of the kids were meeting up with a few other youth groups from other cities for a camping weekend. Some of the older folks complained that it showed a lack of priorities, that the kids were choosing fun over a commitment to spiritual things. This really bothered me. Are they expected to set aside every friday night indefinitely and make no other plans in case they are accused of not putting God first? Sunday is God's day, and I think it would be wrong for a church to cancel worship services for a game in that situation. But I can understand canceling other services on other days in certain circumstances, if their volunteers and lots of the attendees were somehow involved in the game (playing, family member playing, etc) they may have felt it was the best choice. The pastor may have even gotten heat for considering *not* canceling it. It may not be a choice I would make, but it's a choice I would not judge for. You never know when there are other circumstances involved. Our church has canceled the weekly children's service on Halloween night. Some may think it's because we want to take our kids T or T'ing. Nope. Actually, none of us celebrate Halloween. However, the majority of our kids are outreach kids who will be likely T or T'ing and not want to come, not to mention it makes it very difficult since most of the kids are picked up by us and we don't want costumed kids coming- in case of mistaken identities. But the biggest reason is, it is just not safe to be picking up kids for the service when the streets are literally crawling with children, somebody could get hit. We also cancel for holidays, we want a break to spend time with our families. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwg Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 Does anything the other posters are saying make sense? Sometimes it helps me to hear it from another side.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChocolateReignRemix Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 I can't change it, but i have told my boys i am sorry they have to miss it -- they are both really really sad and upset -- and i told them that i do not think it got called off for a good reason. I told them our family doesn't put sports before God and that i feel the leaders made a silly decision but that there is nothing i can do about it and i am sorry they'll miss the fun they normally have. So you insulted the volunteers that run this program while talking to your small children? Really? both boys are sad and do not understand what a high school football game has to do with them and frankly DS1 said "so we get in trouble and loose something good because they have a game to play, the game is not at the school [where they meet] so why can't they play the game and us have Sparks?" Frankly all i can tell him is that 'some times adults make really silly and bad choices" A more gracious explanation to your son would have been to tell him that some of those moms and dads that volunteer so he can have Sparks every week wanted to see their sons and others they know play in a big game this week, but that he would be able to go to Sparks again next week and the weeks after that. You seriously need some perspective about this situation. Just because your children are sad (understandable) is no reason to be so obnoxious (not understandable) to those who volunteer so that they can have programs they enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 (edited) I don't know Awanas from Squat, except for some reason I know they race homemade wooden cars, which I've never seen done during any worship service. I have seen a rabbi dressed as a clown throw candy during a Purim service... I have older kids and I have had to choose which event to attend, and dh have found ourselves driving hither and yon to try to see it all. Begging aunts and uncles to go to one thing, while we go to another etc. If the ds piano recital is on the same night as the dd ballet double pirouette 'solo", which is on the same night as the art show opening for your kid who is probably getting a blue ribbon, what the heck do you do? There have been times when leaders have postponed or cancelled because so many of the same kids were involved in activities/performances that were being held on the same night. Sometimes it's good to live in a small(ish) town. If this had fallen on Awana night? Bye Bye Awana. As a mother of 4, I totally appreciate the occasional flexibility and thoughtfulness of local coordinators. Apart from conflicting townie events, we once went from a Sleeping Beauty ballet performance for one dc in the evening, and then as a family we drove 8 hours overnight so we could get to the opening day (2 pm) performance of a play our oldest produced. Little kids don't have the same long memory as older kids. Without the Awana drama, they could have had a bible story snuggle with mama, and it would have been the end of it. Missing an opening performance, a blue ribbon etc? Yo, no, it sucks. I'm thinking of how a convo might go with Jesus. "I know you love me. I know you are my child. I want you to support your children. I am always here for you. You know that, and I know you are here for me. Tonight, your little children need you. Tell them to go long!" And as for a 3 year old crying about it. I would have snuggled him up into my arms, read him a story, and nursed him to sleep. No trauma involved. lol Edited October 27, 2011 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 well apparently I am a different kind of person than most here, but that is nothing new. I thought I'd get some support for my 3 yo crying because he doesn't get to go to cubbies tonight, guess i was wrong Wow. :001_huh: :auto: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meriwether Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 Awanas was cancelled in our town tonight for the same reason. It was nice to be able to stay home. I view Awanas as an extracurricular - not church. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 Wow. :001_huh::auto: LOL This is where you wanna say, "For realz you're posting this?" We can't say Troll or Drama Queen, so instead we opt for polite and many multiple pages of ignored chit chat and reason ("But none of you are like *me*! I'm the good mommmy who *cares* about God!") and then the thousands of views. lol Well, my night is complete. :auto::lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 LOL This is where you wanna say, "For realz you're posting this?" We can't say Troll or Drama Queen, so instead we opt for polite and many multiple pages of ignored chit chat and reason ("But none of you are like *me*! I'm the good mommmy who *cares* about God!") and then the thousands of views. lol Well, my night is complete. :auto::lurk5: We can still say stuff about hot kitchens and big girl panties, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Fairy Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 my Boys go to Awanas -- in the next town over. tonight that school district is in the some big deal high school foot ball game, district? it is not state. they cancelled Awanas -- that 130 kids go to each week -- for the game. I told the director I felt this was the wrong choice to make -- church is no canceled on Super Bowl Sunday -- and God comes before football. I said even if my boys had an older sib at the game THEY would be at Awanas and if my older child had a youth group or other obligation he or she would simply have to miss the 'big deal' football game. I do place football in front of God. I also stated i feel it is a dangerous predident to set "oh well there is something else going on, so let's skip God Education and go to ______ (sporting event, concert, etc). I just feel it wrong to place something else, especially just a sports game, above a commitment to meet God and leran about Him each week. Again church service is not called off on account of the Super Bowl. I got a fairly PC and BS reply I can't change it, but i have told my boys i am sorry they have to miss it -- they are both really really sad and upset -- and i told them that i do not think it got called off for a good reason. I told them our family doesn't put sports before God and that i feel the leaders made a silly decision but that there is nothing i can do about it and i am sorry they'll miss the fun they normally have. both boys are sad and do not understand what a high school football game has to do with them and frankly DS1 said "so we get in trouble and loose something good because they have a game to play, the game is not at the school [where they meet] so why can't they play the game and us have Sparks?" Frankly all i can tell him is that 'some times adults make really silly and bad choices" really fustrated and sad I guess, but really as I told DH that is a choice each parent needs to make for themselves and answer to God about how they are teaching their kids to order their lives (sports before God) -- but for them to make that choice for us all...again no one closes the church doors on Super Bowl Sunday because less people are coming. ^^shrug^^ nothing i can do about it but i really feel it was the wrong choice well apparently I am a different kind of person than most here, but that is nothing new. I thought I'd get some support for my 3 yo crying because he doesn't get to go to cubbies tonight, guess i was wrong Nope, That i would understand, it is just they think / know a lot of people will choose the game over their conmitments to awans. Not that THAT says to much good about their staff :glare: I just think it is pretty sad to cancel something effecting 130 little kids for a football game that doesn't actually effect kids under 8 (the age group in our building). Like I said my kids feel punished and don't understand why just because the "big kids have a foot ball game to play" why that means they have to suffer. I know i have no effect on it, and i 'see' the reasons -- shallow though they are, and imo wrong -- i just think it stinks my kids feel punished and have been crying over this -- :001_huh: I have had to say "I am sorry kids, but some adult just do not take their commitments as seriously as they should, i am sorry you are missing out something you love because of a foot ball game that doesn't actually have anything to do with you" I know I can't change it -- it just really makes me mad What do I think? I think you are being very immature and modeling bad, whiny behavior to your children. Hopefully you can pull yourself together before you ruin a good thing for your kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KuniMom Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 I haven't read the other responses, but I don't agree with you. And this is coming from a Pastor's wife and former AWANA leader. Awana does not equal God. Many times churches cancel different services during the week because it conflicts with something that most people would like to attend. And I think your children's reactions are mirroring your own. The reason they are frustrated and sad is because you are frustrated and sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 We can still say stuff about hot kitchens and big girl panties, right? :D Yes! PS You so make me laugh. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keptwoman Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 The more I think about this, the more I realise that in my voluteering capacity with other peoples children, if it came out that a parent had said what the OP said to her kids WRT the volunteers, the parent would be told that they were *welcome* to find another group because they were no longer welcome at ours. Volunteers put in hours and hours and hours beyond the weekly meetings. Talk about rude and ungrateful behaviour!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 The more I think about this, the more I realise that in my voluteering capacity with other peoples children, if it came out that a parent had said what the OP said to her kids WRT the volunteers, the parent would be told that they were *welcome* to find another group because they were no longer welcome at ours. Volunteers put in hours and hours and hours beyond the weekly meetings. Talk about rude and ungrateful behaviour!! :iagree::iagree::iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubix Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 I don't like football at all, but this would not bother me because the volunteers have lives too. Their life does not revolve around my kids, or even their volunteering. Our Awana misses 3 weeks for holidays, I can't imagine my child having a fit because Awana is cancelled for Thanksgiving and Christmas. There is no reason to put a victim mentality into her head that someone wronged her out of a night of Awana and cause a fit. If my child was dissapointed, I would do what our family does on off nights - practice our verse, play a game, and have a snack. We would enjoy the family time, regardless of why is was cancelled. I would never criticize her cubbie leader in front of her (or at all in this matter). She is supposed to respect that leader and I would not chose to undermine her view of her teacher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 Is this for real? All these nasty words because a meeting to learn about the Bible was postponed? :confused: I would have told my boys (and girl), "Guess what?! All the big boys at NextTownOver High School are in the football championship! We're going to go watch the game Wed. night and we''l see X, Y , and Z people from Awanas!" And we would have dressed in the school colors, too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silliness7 Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 Is this for real? All these nasty words because a meeting to learn about the Bible was postponed? :confused: I lose sympathy for the OP with each post. :glare: The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, etc. Unfortunately it is NOT Awana attendance or even being memory verse champion of the world. And believe me, I place a *very* high priority on memorizing Scripture *and* on Christian education *and* on church. But if these things aren't helping us be more like Christ.... Yikes! And I struggle with being gracious too. But honestly, the self-righteousness combined with the severe judgment and lack of grace for fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord who selflessly serve her dc is just mind-boggling. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 (edited) It might be that too many of their adult and teen volunteers are involved in the game. It might include all cheerleaders, football players, marching band members *and* their parents. If it involves too many of their normal volunteers, then they might not have enough volunteers to run the program that night. Do you volunteer? I thought if you did, then you might be in a better position to know if they are concerned about having enough volunteers that night. :iagree: IMHO, you need to take the attitude with your kids that it is no big deal. Sounds to me like they are getting more upset about missing one Awanas meeting than should be reasonable. Perspective is always important. You have no idea what may be going on. Edited October 27, 2011 by SailorMom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 And as for a 3 year old crying about it. I would have snuggled him up into my arms, read him a story, and nursed him to sleep. No trauma involved. lol I love you!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffeetime Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 Oh geeze. Perhaps he wouldn't be crying if you'd approached this differently, instead of focusing on how others are letting you down, etc. Hmmm, what would be important to the average family...going to see their child play in a special, important, may never happen again event, or volunteer wrangling 130 other ppl's kids? Its not God vs football. Its family vs volunteer work...and imo, family should ALWAYS win out. Volunteer work is about community. So is this special game. AWANAs is weekly, this game isn't. You're being completely unreasonable, imo. :iagree::iagree::iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMW Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 It reminds me of my own parents' decision, which still bugs me when I think about it.... We were faithful church attenders. Years on end, week after week, Sunday morning, Sunday evenings, Wednesday evenings. And my best friend had a 16th birthday party that I went to. It was fabulous. And one of her gifts was from her grandparents... tickets to take her best friend along to the live show "Cats". I was SOOOOO excited. I dreamed of doing this with her. And my parents said, "No way, that is on a Sunday and you cannot miss church." Honestly, one Sunday? I respect my parents, I do. I love them dearly and appreciate their faithfulness... But, I don't think being allowed to go with my dearest friend and her grandparents to this huge event would have interrupted my relationship with God. And I know that I am sharing that with people who WOULD see this as wrong (doing an "event" like this on Sunday). I just don't think it is... and I still don't think it is. It was a ONCE in a LIFETIME event. Yep, I've never had that opportunity come up again... Nope. I agree that the children are upset because you are setting the stage and you are upset.... You could easily have turned this into a family evening and blessed them with a good example of handling disappointment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 :iagree: IMHO, you need to take the attitude with your kids that it is no big deal. Sounds to me like they are getting more upset about missing one Awanas meeting that should be reasonable. Perspective is always important. You have no idea what may be going on. Now granted, this doesn't sound like a group I'd ever be interested in but seriously... can't a mother just READ the bible to their kids one night and make it fun and educational without one missing meeting? I don't understand how one missed meeting is going to impact the relationship between a god and a say, THREE year old. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5kidsforME Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 Your question is what do YOU think? I think, that in this situation, you are the one that has made your children, upset. You have the brains to figure out how to spin it so they are not upset. It is ONE missed AWANA. It is not God vs. Football. You made it that way, and unfortunately you ended up dragging your children down with you. It's time to do some repair work. You have planted the seeds of disrespect for adults (in your children) with how you handled it and what you said about the VOLUNTEER leaders. Get working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 Is this for real? All these nasty words because a meeting to learn about the Bible was postponed? :confused: I would have told my boys (and girl), "Guess what?! All the big boys at NextTownOver High School are in the football championship! We're going to go watch the game Wed. night and we''l see X, Y , and Z people from Awanas!" And we would have dressed in the school colors, too! A'yup. :iagree: OP, perhaps you will become more understanding as your children age and become involved in more activities. Your children seem to be mirroring you own disappointment. You could have spun the whole thing in a positive light and just let it be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiana Daniels Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 (edited) Telling the kids that the adults are not making a good decision is only going to undermine those volunteers. Adults who volunteer their time should be supported, even if they take a week off. We don't look at church functions as equal to God, so taking a week off here and there isn't sinful in our eyes. The main training up of our children happens at home, and everything they get from church is supplemental. If the kids are that upset, it's more a reflection of how the situation is being framed by the parents. Awana is important, but keeping a balanced perspective is important too. :) Edited October 27, 2011 by Georgiana D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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