By: Beth Tolar

As the parents of three boys, we prepared them each for corporate worship and had three different experiences. Of course this was due to their different personalities, but that was not the only factor. We were at different stages of our parenting and our spiritual walk. What did our spiritual walk have to do with leading our children to worship? Everything!

The first step in teaching someone to worship is your own personal worship. Have you examined your worship experience? Before a worship service starts, are you more concerned with the details of getting to church, taking your small group refreshments, and wondering who will be at church? Or are you preparing yourself for a worship experience?

Additionally, what is your attitude concerning your child being in worship? I have often heard parents of older preschoolers say, “Great, now Susie has to go to worship with us. There goes my worship for a year!” While teaching children to worship does change a parent’s worship experience for a season, it should not cost you your worship experience. With planning and preparation you can focus on worship in the midst of parenting in the pew.

As parents we need to prepare our hearts for worship and be careful to share that preparation with our children. Did your children see you read your Bible or pray during the week? Is the only time your children see their parents in any act of worship only at church? The number one influence in a child’s life is their parents. What can you do to have a positive influence on your child?

• Pray for God to lead you in worship and ask that He guide you in teaching your children concerning worship. 
• Pray with your children as you begin teaching them about worship.
• Read your Bible. Seek His wisdom concerning life during the week. Allow your children to participate in a quiet time where you express the importance of worship. 

Some tips when taking your children to corporate worship:

• Visit the worship center/sanctuary prior to worship. Allow your child to explore the different areas and ask questions. Explain where the pastor stands, where the choir or praise group stands, and so forth.
• Discuss with your child the worship service. Explain that as we sing we are singing to God and as we listen to the pastor’s sermon, we learn from the Bible how Jesus wants us to live. Teach children that giving an offering is an act of worship.
• Discuss your expectations. However, prior to discussing your expectations, make sure they are reasonable. After all, children are made to wiggle and giggle and a little movement in the pew is to be expected. Make sure your expectations are clear. If your child is disobedient then you must address this at the time of the offense. Exiting during the service may be necessary. If so, then exit quietly, address the misbehavior, restate your expectation and re-enter the service. Do not let a child’s disobedience keep them out of the service, which may be the child’s desired outcome. Also, ensure that the time outside of the service is not rewarding. Be firm and loving when teaching your child the desired behavior while attending service. 
• Prior to the worship service visit the restroom. Help your child to understand that we do not desire to be a distraction to others in worship by exiting the service. Explain that we need to take care of this prior to the service.
• Take activity books, coloring books, chenille stems or a few crayons into the service. Do not give your child these items until later in the service as we want to engage the children in the worship experience as much as possible. When we are standing, the child needs to stand. When we are praying, the child needs to pray. 
• Practice whispering with your child prior to attending a service. As strange as it sounds, children rarely have a need to whisper and do not understand what it means to whisper. Most parents wait till they are sitting in the service when little Johnny, using his normal voice, begins to ask, “Who is that man up there?” 
• After the service, discuss the message, the songs, and the worship service with your child. Ask questions that will give you insight as to what your child learned or noticed during the service. This process helps children to pay attention to different aspects of the service so that they can participate in your discussions. This especially works well with siblings challenging one another. However, even our oldest child enjoyed the individual attention from his parents, and our discussion validated his observations. It gave him a sense of importance.     

The greatest thing we get to do as parents is introduce our children to Jesus.  Teaching them to worship is part of the process.  Pray for guidance, and trust that God has great plans for your child. Embrace this season of parenting. And remember that God inhabits the praises of His children. Teach your children to praise Him personally and corporately.

Beth Tolar is a preschool consultant for the Childhood Ministry Group of the SC Baptist Convention and the mother of three former preschoolers.