Children are not the Church of tomorrow. They are the Church of today. They are equal members of the worshipping community, which we call the family of the Church.
The Christian family here at Farnham United Reformed Church accepts children as very much members of the family. A couple with a new baby are faced with many difficult decisions, but one of them ought not to be "shall we take the baby to church or not?" Children who are brought to church at a young age are not likely to find the building strange or frightening later in life.
But what if the children make a noise? Well, children have always made a noise, and they are not going to stop now! Yet it is worth remembering that they often make more noise if they are being held tightly in someone's arms and told to be quiet (children are like that).
There are a number of points that are worth thinking about. First, as the Minister of this church, I want parents to bring their children to church with them.
Children belong with their parents in church, and we offer special provision of a creche and Junior Church if they wish. The noise children make will not upset me in any way.
Second, please don’t feel children have to sit still with nothing to do. Feel free to bring quieter toys with you, or you may also like to bring a drink and a biscuit or piece of fruit for them. It is fine for the children to eat and drink during the service.
Third, there is plenty of space to move. If your child gets fed up sitting in the pew please feel free to to the back so they can move around freely.
Fourth, don't worry if your toddler wanders off during the service - on the whole they tend not to wander very far - but chasing after them makes a great game and they will run further away.
I know how difficult it can be to bring young children to church. It takes great determination and very often a thick skin. However, if fewer and fewer parents bring their children to church, they become more and more conspicuous, and newcomers will feel very embarrassed and not come again.
Should you ever feel that you are not welcome in church with your child then please do speak to me about it. As I said at the beginning, I want children to come to church and be a real part of the church family.