“Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him” Psalm 127:3

Kids in church. We just can’t do without them. Here are some stories to celebrate the joys, the embarrassments, and the challenges of kids in church.

A little boy was in a relative’s wedding. As he was coming down the aisle he would take two steps, stop, and turn to the congregation. Then he would put his hands up like claws and roar. So it went, step, step, ROAR, step, step, ROAR, all the way down the aisle. The congregation was laughing so hard they had tears streaming down their faces. The little boy, however, was getting more and more distressed from all the laughing, and by the time he reached the pulpit he was in tears. When asked why he was crying he sniffed and said, “Why is everyone laughing at me? I was doing what I was told to do. I was being the Ring Bear.”

On Christmas Day at Christ Church Hillbrow, my father-in-law, who was the minister, would call the children to the front of the church and ask them about their presents. The children always looked forward to being in the limelight and would take great delight in showing him their toys. When it was Mandy Hinton’s turn, she stepped up onto the platform, pulled up her dress with a flourish, and said, “Look what I got – new panties!” It was a real show stopper.

One Sunday in a Midwest city a young child was “acting up” during the morning worship hour. The parents did their best to maintain some sense of order in the pew but were losing the battle. Finally the father picked the little fellow up and walked sternly up the aisle on his way out. Just before reaching the safety of the foyer, the little boy called loudly to the congregation, “Pray for me! Pray for me!”

During the minister’s prayer there was a loud whistle from one of the back pews. Gary’s mother was horrified. She pinched him into silence, and after church, asked: “Gary, whatever made you do such a thing?” Gary answered soberly: “I asked God to teach me to whistle … And He just then did!”

A little girl was sitting in church playing with her mother’s Bible when an old leaf, that had been pressed between the pages, fell out. Looking at it with incredulity the little girl said, “Mommy, look what I found.” “What have you got there, dear?” said her mother. With astonishment in her voice, she replied, “I think it’s Adam’s suit!”

Six-year-old Angie and her four-year-old brother Joel were sitting together in church. Joel giggled, sang, and talked out loud. Finally, his older sister had enough. “You’re not supposed to talk out loud in church,” she said. “Why? Who’s going to stop me?” said Joel. Angie pointed to the back of the church and said, “You see those two men standing by the door? They’re hushers.”

Yes, church would never be church without our children. Let’s never forget that they’re a wonderful “heritage from the Lord … a reward” Psalm 127:3. And we’re blessed because of them.