Too good not to share!

Please be advised of our church expectations regarding children at worship services:

* If your kids are loud, please still come to worship.

* If you’re running late because getting everyone dressed and out the door was a battle, please still come to worship.

* If your toddler won’t sit still, please still come to worship.

* If your baby needs to eat, please still come to worship.

* If your child asks questions at the least convenient moment, please still come to worship.

* If someone cries, drops a toy, or has to make their third trip to the bathroom, please still come to worship.

* If your child doesn’t know all the prayers, responses, or exactly when to sit or stand, please still come to worship.

* If you feel like you spent the entire service managing your children and heard approximately 12% of the sermon, please still come to worship.

* If Sunday morning feels messy instead of peaceful, please still come to worship.

* If you are worried your children are distracting the people around you, please still come to worship.

* If your child has a disability or special needs, please still come to worship.

Children do not learn how to be part of the church by staying home until they can sit quietly – they learn by being here.

– They learn to worship by watching us worship.

– They learn to pray by hearing us pray.

– They learn the Scriptures by hearing the Word of God proclaimed.

– They learn reverence by watching the adults during the liturgy.

– They learn that Christ is truly present by faith in the Holy Eucharist by seeing the love and awe with which we approach the Lord’s Table.

– They learn that the church is their home because we make room for them here.

The wiggles, whispers, crying babies, and little voices are not signs that children don’t belong at worship services; they are signs that the church is alive.

So bring the babies. Bring the toddlers. Bring the big kids. Sit where the little ones can see. Make use of our toddler play area. Step out when you need to, but always come back in.

At Baptism these children became full members of the Body of Christ. They belong here. They need the grace of the Holy Mysteries, the example of their parents, and the love and patience of their parish family.

Children are not simply the future of the church; they are part of the church right now!