If you are visiting Emmanuel, one of the things you may notice is many young children.
We are convinced that the Lord is pleased to include them, even from the earliest age, in our corporate worship services.
We see examples in the Old Testament of the presence of children when the people of God gather for worship (Deuteronomy 29:10-15, Ezra 10:1, Nehemiah 12:43). In some instances (Deuteronomy 31:10-13, Joshua 8:34-35, Joel 2:14-16), it is very young children who are specifically mentioned. To be sure, there are also gatherings mentioned where the attendance was restricted (e.g., Nehemiah 8:13, where only heads of household attended), but these were more specialized in nature and purpose than general worship gatherings.
In the New Testament, also, Jesus commands that the little children be brought to him (Matthew 19:13-15), and in Matthew 21:15-16, he references Psalm 8:2 when he commends the children crying out in the Temple, describing praise coming out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies. Some might argue that small children derive little-to-no benefit from their presence in corporate worship. But we cannot limit how the Holy Spirit can and will work in our small children, noting that training can and should be undertaken at an early age. In an admittedly unique occurrence, we note that John the Baptist leapt for joy in utero in the presence of the pregnant Mary (Luke 1:39-45).
It is our desire that everyone present, from young children to seniors, be able to hear and fully engage in all aspects of worship. So, while we should expect some noise and distraction from young children in their development toward becoming fully engaged worshippers, we would also ask parents to be sensitive to the needs of those who may be struggling to hear.
We do offer parents options to use at their discretion:
- the vestibule immediately beyond the rear entrance to the sanctuary
- a live feed of the service in the Fellowship Hall
- a fully staffed church nursery during the morning service for infants and younger children through age 3
We encourage everyone to extend grace and patience to families working to train their children, as well as thoughtfulness and consideration during those times when the distraction might be excessive for those with hearing needs.
We pray that all, from our youngest to our oldest participants, will feel welcome and be able to enter joyfully and enthusiastically into the worship of our Triune God at Emmanuel.