Keeping Families Together | First Baptist Church

First Baptist Church keeps families together. We want all people of all ages to attend with us to the great Triune God. We want families to worship together, sing together, hear the Word together. The Bible occasionally advises us that there are times to give instruction specific to different seasons of life, but not always (see, for example, Titus 2:2-6). Nothing in the Bible suggests such a division in corporate worship; on the contrary, families are depicted worshipping together (Nehemiah 8:2-3, Acts 20:7-9). We believe that we ought to be one body as much as possible, and so we do not have “children’s church” for the children to attend while the “grown-ups” worship. It is good for children to see their parents singing to the Lord and to observe them listening to the preaching of God’s Word.

Therefore, children are welcome in our worship services. For the convenience of parents whose children are unable to participate without disrupting worship, we do have a “crying room” and nursery at the back of the sanctuary, which get used every Sunday. But as soon as children are old enough to join us without disrupting worship, we encourage their attendance. This allows them to learn how to worship God with us.

We resist the impulse of our age toward religious entertainment. With certain exceptions, it appears to us as if many churches believe the best way to disciple children is by entertaining them. We are concerned that an entertainment-driven approach to youth ministry (of whatever age) is teaching children to want an entertaining religion even when they reach adulthood. We are humbly trying to prevent this. Rather than talking down to our children or assuming their ability to understand is less than ours, we want to respect them and show by example that worship is worthwhile.

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
Acts 2:42

The effects of Christ’s resurrection in the disciples’ lives did not stop at internal changes but resulted in an assembly (ekklesia), the church — the Gospel brings people together. The early church gathered to celebrate the resurrection (that’s why we have church on Sundays rather than Saturdays), and found it far from boring.

“Children’s church” does not help children learn this truth. Sending our children away from the assembly for “children’s church” may teach children that “grown-up” church is boring (since “children’s church” is invariably more entertaining) and/or that they as children are not welcome at “grown-up” church.

We treasure the time our children have to gather with the “grown-ups.” We take children seriously, and believe they are worthy of respect. Likewise, we take the elders among us seriously, and treasure the wisdom they have for us all. When a speaker knows his audience includes children, he must take greater care to be clear in his language, often having to define terms in short words without hiding behind jargon, which is an exercise beneficial for him (limiting, for instance, chances for his own mind to remain unclear about what he is saying) as well as all his hearers.

We have high expectations of our children. They are the next generation of believers and responsible for the future of the church, if the Lord tarries in his coming. By God’s grace, and for His glory, the children of First Baptist will watch and learn from mature believers how to “offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe” (Hebrews 12:28).

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