Children In Worship

At St. Paul's we welcome children in many different ways.  For those parents of young children who are comfortable doing so, our nursery care is outstanding.  For older children, our Church School offers education in the Christian faith.  Our occasional services for families and children speak directly to the children, and not "over" them to the adults.  For those who wish, your children are always welcome to stay with you in the worship services and if this is the case, we have a number of ways to make attending church as enjoyable as possible, as contained in this "Children in worship FAQ?"

 

What if I forgot to bring a quiet activity for my child to do?

In the back of the church, near the baptismal font, you will find our "Kids Kabinet."  This small cabinet holds books on top and inside you will find clipboards with religious/seasonal coloring pages along with a box of markers and/or crayons. 

Communion Instruction for Children

Where should we sit?

while families are welcome to sit wherever they like, many families have found a "safe haven" sitting in the section of the church near the kids cabinet.  Many feel they are less distracting to others here and also have easy access should they need to make a quick get-away for any of the various reasons that might occur.

Are our children welcome to receive communion?

At St. Paul's, it is the policy of the current Rector to offer communion to any who desire to receive it.  We do not practice "first communion" or anything comparable.  If you would like your child to receive communion you are invited to do so.  For those whoul would rather have their children receive a blessing, simply bring your child with you to the altar rail and let the clergy know the child's name.

Is there a place we can go and listen to the service while letting our little one get some energy out?

If you want your child to be with you, but you are worried that they are a distraction to others (or are distracting you!), our Parish Hall is equipped with a system that can acess the audio from the church service.  You will find the amplifier in the corner underneath the Episcopal flag and on top of the cabinets.  Simply flip the red power switch on and adjust the master volume.

Will we receive glances or glares from others if our children make noises?

While the current Rector would like to assure you that children are unconditionally welcome in our worship services (and for his part they are), the reality of life in our Parish, like many others, is that there is a diversity of people and some have expectations and beliefs about children in worship that will not change, even though we talk openly about this and encourage and educate our parish around the need to welcome children.  The occasional glance or glare (even scowl!) has, and undoubtedly will, happen.  While it is a mistake to generalize based on generational differences, many of our parishioners in their later years have a different understanding of acceptable behavior in church than our younger families.  It is our hope that families who feel in any way uncomfortable by having their children in church will talk with the clergy or other familes so that we can work toward creating a worship service where all are truly welcome and we can worship God together.