Children & Church
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Children are never too young to come to church. At church we belong to one big family. We want you and your children to know that you are all very welcome. We do realise that bringing children, especially babies and toddlers, to church can be very hard work; for example, if a baby cries, yours is always the loudest (or so it seems at the time)! If toddlers get restless and want to walk about or do something different, the minute you try to stop them, the more determined they become and start trying to get away. We do want coming to church to be a joyful experience for you and your child. We hope the following information will make your being in church and part of One Life easier and more enjoyable.
You and your baby Learning to be comfortable in Church is important. If your baby is settled, please feel free to remain seated, even if others are standing. We all know if baby cries loudly he/she needs feeding, changing, comforting (which includes being carried around, talked or sung to, etc.) Don’t be embarrassed if your baby cries, we all understand that babies have special (and often urgent) needs. If you just try to stop him/her crying it usually gets worse, you become stressed and embarrassed, others can’t hear and it is hard work for the person leading the service. How to help baby enjoy being in church Feel free to bring to church quiet toys, books or paper & colouring pens for your child to use whilst seated in the pews. Babies may well find pleasure in being held close as a parent sings, and in hearing the music of the services. Older babies may watch active parts of the service. Already your baby is absorbing the atmosphere of worship, and so starting on the journey of faith. A service can feel like a long time for a child, so please do feel free to use the quiet toys or books for your baby to explore in the pew. If more space is required, there is a children’s corner at the back of the church, where there are chairs and mats for you and your baby & toddler to use and sit on. You are always welcome to join the other children in Sunday school but important to remember that you will be required to stay with your baby during this time. In the interests of safety as well as quietness, children should always be accompanied by an adult and remain close to the parent, please do not assume your child is being safely watched by others around them. Your child is your responsibility. It is also important that you keep your child near you during the service or you are where they want to be unless they are in Sunday school
Toddlers and young children (2 – 10) We all understand that young children cannot be still for very long time, but they can sit on the carpet and play with quiet toys without making much noise at all remember to keep them seated close to you and avoid them going out to the front area of the church, unless they have been requested by yourself or another adult. Children are likely to be noisy or to want to run around, please discourage this where possible, and distract them with the toys and books available. The facilities we have provided are to help coming to the church to be a happy, relaxed experience for you and your child. Children learn by imitation. Encourage the children to imitate what the adults are doing: holding a book and standing in the pew beside you ‘singing’, kneeling down, or sitting at prayer times. Encourage your toddler to respond to the music by moving or clapping when there is a strong rhythm. If it is a service of Holy Communion then please take your child to receive God’s blessing at the time of Communion. Please remember Children who are allowed (or even encouraged) to run around during the service are not so much being included as ignored! They are present in worship as part of their own faith journey. Even when they are just amusing themselves, they are absorbing the atmosphere of worship, but we should also be seeking ways of involving them, and drawing their attention to what is going on in the worship, even if it is only for a few minutes 'Watch!’ ‘Listen!’ etc. At One Life we have created a reading corner for the children to enjoy and we would encourage all children to use this area during the service.
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