First let me start by saying in this COVID-19 world, there are good reasons for your family to self-quarantine and limit exposure to other groups of people outside your pandemic pod. But when you feel safe and ready to expand your circle, we want to challenge you to make sure attending your local church with your children is in that plan.
I have thought about this a lot, and I have wondered: If I did not work for a church, would my perspective be different? Over the last few months, we have gotten comfortable in our online church at home routine. We could sleep late, make breakfast for the family, and settle into streaming our favorite church services all from the comfort of our pajamas and the couch. Think about it. There was no rushing, no tears about missing shoes, no breakfast spilled in the car, and certainly no check-in and drop-off issues with our littles. I could be convinced that this is how God intended us to celebrate the Sabbath. But slowly as the novelty started dissipating, most of us found we were streaming less, engaging our family in worship less, and allowing complacency to set in.
This pandemic is not the first time I have run into this situation. When my son was young, my husband and I were out of the habit of attending church. Our Sunday morning routine had become donuts and the Sunday morning newspaper in bed, followed by some extra snuggle time. Who can resist a child’s snuggle and reading the Sunday comics together?
So, the questions become: “Why do our kids need church?” And “Why does our family need to be engaged in a local church community?”
Read the full article on our Parenting Pathway blog.
