“In the New Testament, there is–by way of good and necessary consequence–the example of parents having their children in the gathered assembly. The Epistles were written by the Apostles to churches to be read before the entire congregation. In the epistle to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul directly addresses the children in the congregation.”

At New Covenant, we enthusiastically encourage parents to keep their children in the worship service–the whole worship service. Being with the congregation in the worship service from childhood is one of the greatest privileges that God has given to children growing up in a Christian home. That begs the question, however, “If our young children can’t understand what is being said from the pulpit, why would we keep them in?” Here are five reasons–with a few caveats–about why you should consider keeping your children in the service:

1. It is the pattern of Scripture. Just after (and in connection with) the institution of the Passover (Exodus 12)–the Old Covenant sacramental meal that finds its counterpart in the Lord’s Supper–the Lord gave the Israelites instructions concerning the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Law of the Firstborn (Exodus 13). Twice in the course of charging them regarding these Gospel types the Lord said, “When in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery'” (Exodus 13:14). There was an expectation that the children would be with their parents as they gathered with the other Israelites (i.e. Old Covenant church members) in order to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread; and, an expectation that they would ask their parents about what was happening in the worship service. In the same way, when we keep our children in the service–instead of dismissing them just before the preaching and observation of the Lord’s Supper–they will ask us why we do what we do–thereby giving us an opportunity for Gospel instruction. The worship service becomes a time in which all the parents of the congregation can explain that “By a strong hand the Lord has brought us out of bondage to Satan, sin and the world by the broken body and shed blood of Jesus–the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” If we send them out prior to the preaching and the Supper, we are potentially losing a significant opportunity to nurture them with the Gospel.

In the New Testament, there is–by way of good and necessary consequence–the example of parents having their children in the gathered assembly. The Epistles were written by the Apostles to churches to be read before the entire congregation. In the epistle to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul directly addresses the children in the congregation. Surely, parents or Sunday school teachers can teach these portions of Scripture to the children in a congregation in settings other than the worship service, but something is lost if they are not taught to the children of a church in the service. There is a flow in the applications that Paul makes in his letters. In Ephesians, he addresses the church as a whole (Ephesians 4:1-5:21), then wives and husbands (Eph. 5:22-33), then children and parents (6:1-4) and finally, servants and masters (6:5-9). There is an expectation that the entire body of believers and their children will be present to sit under these apostolic admonitions. This is one very big reason why we should keep them in!

2. It is a model for our children for life. Our young children may not know and understand all that is being said from the pulpit, but they will forever have the example of sitting under sound biblical preaching. My friend, John Larson, once told me how he had grown up in a church with a faithful pastor who preached God’s word expositionally every Lord’s Day. He said that while he didn’t remember much of what that minister said from the pulpit, he remembers the example that man set by faithfully getting up before the congregation week in and week out–to open and expound the Scriptures to the people of God. The example of a man who gives himself to a diligent study of God’s word in order to preach it to the people of God every week will impact our children for life. If we dismiss our children immediately before the sermon we are essentially taking that example away from them. Keeping your children in the service sets before them the model of God’s minister doing what is most important. This is why we should keep them in.

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