The Ohio Independent Baptist, February 1966

• VOL. 38 , NO, 4 The Ohio Independent Baptist • , ren s urc ? I • By Jean Fisher 1 he entire fan1ily j ·.)i tting quietly in church. wor hiping God together. Thi idyllic cene i often pictured in calendar and periodical art. But it i \eldom een in reality. We ee fami– )1e·.) itting together in church, but u ually the children are not wor hip– ing the Almighty God. Parent find it difficult to wor hip a their at– tention i divided between the ervice and their children. Why 1 it that the children are not actively invo]ved in adoring and prai ing their Creator? They are being a·.;ked to wor hip on an adult level " 'hich I beyond their mental and piritual comprehen ion. The hymn sung. the Scripture read the ermon preached have been prepared for adult participation. Habits Formed While the children ma 1 not be \\'Or hiping. they neverthele are learning. They may be learning church habit·3 of inattention an<l bore– dom. The wor. hip ervice become;) a ti1ne to da~ 1 drea111, to read unday chool papers, to draw or to Jeep. H ahil are formed \\'hich hinder genuine "''orsl1ip experience. even i11- to the adult year. . hildren are capable of worshiping CJod. ..-rhc ptirpose f children·s churche are to trai11 childrcr1 in le der l1ip arid responsible church- 1111an l1i p. Wl1ile the adult congrega– tion " 'Or. hip itl1ou1 the di traction f chi]d1en i11 the ervice, the childrer1 are in es ion graded to 111cet tl1cir need . he bilitie of J u111ior and Be- ginner to con1prel1e11d and p, rtici– pate in a \1\ 1 on.,J1ip ti111e ,,ar)' great]) . J uni r a11 pp,rec iate 111e ,1 tlit: great 11 n 11 , l gini1 r 11e I s ngs grad t t l1eir u11d r L 11di ng. Ti - g1nn r nn t sit 1· ~ ng a Ju21i r . I I grad J>f g1 ar 11 tl1 11e Is 1 Cd 1 age I I · drl l 1111 l ·'Jtani J l1u1 h' r a ' l11ld l1t1r ·11' , 111 J1 11 cl u1 s dge tl11 1 J 11 TH OHIO I D PE D NT BAPTIST I not ba et.I on · und educational principle·"' . Lack of grading 111ay re– "' ult in a Hbaby- itting,· ervice. or in adult leader conducting a program to keep children entertained. A de– partmentally graded children· churoh program would provide ur ery Church ( 1, 2, 3 grade ) , and the Junior Church ( 4 5, 6 grade ) . Children, churche3 need ded,icated men and women leader who are will– ing to mi the adult church erv.ice becau e they are convinced of the !mportance of thi work. Each church 'hould have a regular taff of work– er·3. A con tantly rotating or chang- ing taff hinder the continuity of the program. Small children need the ecurity of known adult who are intere ted in them a individual . T,he 1eader hould be there every week even if it i nece·"' ar)' to have ome rotating per onnel . The fa i:i litie 11 ed for graded un– Jay School depart111ent will ti uall y be LI ed for children, churche . Pri– n1arie· and JL1nior woLild profit by having a <,pecial area or room re- erved for thejr wor hip ervice . Directed Program The progran1 for Ltr ·ery and Bc- gi nner churche\ hould be an e ten- ')1on of the Lind ay chool hoLtr l{ at hcr than introdt1c1ng a nC\.\' the111c or Bible \lOr}' , the chtarch ti111c ~hottl(i re inforcc the teaching f the f)rc– viou hotar tl110L1gh rclatcti act11v 1t1e" , nll 'A'orshi p. ' fh c 'u 11d a\' ch ! hour is tlSL1al)y a tlirectcd prt)gr t1r11 i nvo I \ 1 i n g I i t t I e p }1}' s i ca I ac t 1\ i t \ 'htarch ti111c shoLtlct provitlc act1\' t– lies \\' l1ich allow for tl1c rclcd\C , f ph)' ical t::nerg)' . ,. l1c cl1il(lrt::n 11cc I opr>ortt111itics to choose tl1cir O\V11 acti\ 1 ities \\ 1 i1hot11 t)r1stant tea l1er– cli1t::ction. \ ·'/t1rk fior a rela I at111 s- 1,t1ere f fr e lt)111 \Vl1i 11 i 11tr\_>ll I t, l h , rk r . \ \ 1 r k r s I 1 ) ti I J f, ra ' l 11 I J) I an J f> r •:s J)O n t a r 1 e ll ,, r h i J' \.:: - JJ \.:fJ 11 s lt1ri,1g tl1cse ct riviti s. I h Lii sc, ,, orshq) t1n1 • s ht u!tl ,nc lLu.Jc th 1 "11 ~titi )11 <lf tl1 llill l ~ ~I J , Je ldl tJ S 11gs cll1) JJ l , l I ( l l - FEBRUARY· 1966 Jean Fisher ful planning will help the leader·-- to be fl exib]e with the program. The beginner wor hip time can be more definitely planned. The children can be phy icall 1 in olved in taking the offering, q11ot ing Scriptt1re ver , haring ac tivit ie f ron1 the hour, te! l- 1 ng Bible torie . inging a·"' a choir. and in other way' . Church Aim The Pr in1ar) httr h pr gran1 111a) be an e ten(led e ion f the ttn– ,Ja\ chool hoL1r or urrict1lt1n1 n1a- ., terial\ 111ay be 11~cd \\ hi h are not planned ,1rot1nc.J the unda) hoo] lhe111e. l "'he Jt1n1or h11rch progran1 ·')hottld hould a1111 t help J t1n1 r"' b - co111c 1ntcll1gcnt. re, ercnt \\ r"'h1pcr"' \\ l1en the\ go into the aLit11t '>cf\ i .. \; Bot 11 progr ~1111 sh ul<J r>ro\ ittc f l1f purfJl)'>t.:fttl ~1t1ptl .1ct1, 1r,. l \tt.111, the h() l l r I l i l \ 1 c.J l! li l 11 l l) th f Ct; p ,l ff\. in– C) lt U J Ilg gr<)ltJ) l'Itpar,ltton. ,t11all gr Ollf) plar111111g C)r ~1ct1\ tt\. anti tl1c \Vo1"' }1 11) , \?' r v i .. c. \\ hcr1 1ntli\ 1 i lt1~1l" ~•re \\ 01 '>l11r i11g , ) I i11 ~·q1irit a11d 1n t1 t1tl1 the chttrL 11 "'ill l t: l1l '"'"~ti l) a g1 )\\ th tn ~~)111t– t1 ,d 111att1r11, t 11 all agt' l~\ ,Js. .,, Subscribe to: Ohio Independent Bapti t Only $2.00 per year Bo 7 Cedarville, Ohio FEBRUARY 1966 PAGE 3