Family Sunday
On the last Sunday of every month we have Family Sunday here at TCC. That means that no children’s programs will be running as usual, everyone will worship in the sanctuary as one big family together! We do this for a number of reasons:
- To remind our children that they are an important part of the larger Church body.
- To remind the Church that we have a responsibility to spiritually care for our children.
- To intentionally model family discipleship. We want to show our kids the joy of gathering with the Church, how to follow along to a sermon, how to worship their Creator, etc. Kids will learn to love, serve, and worship God when they observe you doing it.
Will it be messy, noisy, and sometimes distracting? Yes. But why not endure a little mess and commotion in order to bring our kids into the presence of the God who can change the entire trajectory of their lives?
The next time you hear children talking during the sermon, let that serve as a reminder that our church has a future! Yes, kids’ lack of self-control, volume control, emotional outbursts, etc. can cause significant distractions. And we have children’s ministry programs tailored specifically for these realities. We have people who are trained to disciple our kids according to their cognitive and developmental needs, but always having them in a separate space should not be the norm for a church. It should never be a relief when they’re out of the room, nor a frustration when they’re in it.
With all this being said, we know that this will be difficult for some of our children to sit through an entire service. Here are some helpful suggestions to make note of for Family Sunday:
- The respite room and infant nursery will be open should you need to step out and use them.
- Have children sit with their parents or parents of friends. If you see someone who does not have any family with them, invite them to sit with you!
- Utilize the “Family Sunday bins” we will provide. They will contain items that will help children focus like fidget toys, playdoh, and coloring sheets.
- Enourage older kids to fill out “Sermon Notes.” These can be found in the Family Sunday bins.
- Take time after service to do a “debrief” with your family. What did you learn? What was your favorite song? Who do we need to pray for?
Our prayer is that our church will be a safe place for our children where they feel welcomed and blessed, where we are blessed by them, and where we are able to effectively disciple each other!
