Lesson From My Three Year Old in Church

Son1 started attending church nursery at 5 months. I was relieved that he was well cared for and we could attend the service without baby noise. Our church in VA had a great nursery with plenty of volunteers and staff. Then we moved to Hawaii where he continued attending nursery. Our current church has a 0 to 3 nursery during the service, and a preschool Sunday School class the other hour. Up until recently, he attended both.

Hubby and I started transitioning Son1 to the adult service about 1 month ago. We expected Son1 to stay with us through worship time, participate in the children's sermon, and then return to the 0 to 3 nursery during the big people sermon. We felt encouraged that he might be ready for the 4 to 6 class during service, even though he won't turn 4 until August. Last week Hubby tried the 4 to 6 class with Son1. He just didn't feel Son1 was ready for the class, but knew the 0 to 3 nursery wasn't the right place for him anymore, either. Since we are in between stages, we decided to keep Son1 in the service with us. He loves to watch all of the instruments, see his Sunday School teacher sing, watch the power point slides, and point to people he knows. He understands that his money he places in the offering plate goes to Jesus. But his favorite part is the children's sermon. It's Hubby's favorite part of the service, too.

Our church in Hawaii is great and allows each individual family to decide where their kids should be during service. Childcare is available, or you can choose to keep your children in service. The church provides gallon sized ziplock bags full of crayons, markers, stencils, and note pads for each child that chooses to stay in the service. Now, I never thought I would be one of those moms that keeps all my children in the service with me, but it works for now. Son2 will be 1 this Friday, and I have never left him in the nursery. He has had several sinus and ear infections, and I don't see the need to expose him to other children when he is recovering from being ill, or possibly contagious. The weeks he is well, I don't place him in the nursery, fearing he may catch something from another child. In Hawaii many families keep their children with them in the church service their first year of life, anyway.

I was somewhat worried that I was teaching Son1 that we just draw in church. Then, just before the sermon the pastor asked that we turn in our Bibles to the book of Matthew for the scripture reading. I am lazy and just read it where it is printed on the back of my church bulletin. Son1 was busy tracing the lines on a tic tac toe grid. He didn't even look up, but a few seconds later, he said, "You open your Bible, Mommy!!" I stared down at him, still intently using his marker. Here we were, sitting in the back third of the church service, and he was absorbing far more than I expected. I am not too worried that he thinks we just draw in church anymore!