THE YOUTH ARE THE CHURCH OF TOMORROW

Therefore we do not need to involve them today.

We should send them away after 15-20 minutes which will allow us to get on with what we want to do without having these distractions.

We are, of course, grateful to the people who give up time to baby-sit and teach our children and we hope that, when they get to 16, they will want to come into the adult service full-time.

This service will, of course, be geared to the culture of our own generation and we do not want to change things. We would, of course, be happy for them to make the odd suggestion as long as it doesn’t involve inconvenience.

They can certainly have one seat on the decision-making body and we will smile benevolently as they come out with their unrealistic idealism.”

Thus reads the epitaph of the dead church.

Alternatively the children and young people are part of the church of today, have gifts and should be as actively involved as anyone else.

t Caversham Baptist Church our children show a greater freedom in worship than we adults, as they dance at the side of the stage.

One of our worship leaders recently chose the first few songs based on what his 5-year-old daughter was singing. The children and young people take regular services and some of them are involved in leading the first part of our worship before they go out to child-friendly teaching from a team of dedicated adults.

After that they return and are free, within health and safety boundaries, to enjoy being together.

We provide a creche though we do not demand that parents use it. A crying baby is usually only a distraction to their own parent.

Let the children come, let them get involved, let them feel welcome, let them fel that it is as much their church as anyone else’s.