Divine service: a part of life

“It’s time to do good!” This year’s motto is especially important for our children. Because for them too it is all about salvation. How can we teach our children the importance of our divine services? Here are some tips—and not just for parents.

When I ask my children why they go to church, I get a shrug of the shoulders or they say, “Because you go.” In the Bible we can read that Christ resurrected on a Sunday and that Sunday is therefore a holiday. In addition to this, the Third Commandment says that the seventh day was a Sabbath day, a day of rest.

Sometimes after the service, the children’s eyes sparkle and I know that they got to know Jesus there, even if they do not say it with the same words as adults do. If you like someone very much, you want to visit them often and get to know them better and better. We get to know Jesus above all in the divine services.

All of these answers serve as food for thought for teachers and parents on how they can guide children to appreciate the value of divine services for themselves. In order for the Church and our faith to become an integral part of children’s lives, it is important to anchor the church and our faith in their everyday lives and thinking. Here are five tips:

How children can help along. They can help to greet worshippers in church, sing or play in the children’s choir and orchestra. A small task shows children how important it is for them to be there and get involved. When they experience that they are needed, they go to church with a positive feeling.

God’s word for everyday life. Whether the children attend pre-Sunday School, Sunday School, or a divine service—the important thing is that there is a takeaway for them, such as maybe being able to apply a Bible story to their own lives and thereby recognise the value of God’s word for their own lives.

Preparation and follow-up. It makes sense for children to prepare for the Sunday service on Saturday—be it in conversation, in evening prayer, or by helping their parents with decorating the altar or cleaning the church. This can help them to look forward to Sunday. Or parents can ask questions after the service: What do you remember from the service? What topic did you have in Sunday School? This helps children to consolidate what they have learned.

Enjoying peace. Even children find their lives and the demands placed on them stressful and need to take a break in order to deal with their inner selves. The divine service can be such a break for them.

Being a role model: Parents can only convey the value of the preaching, the forgiveness of sins, and Holy Communion to their children if they themselves are serious about attending divine services and value what they receive there.

Photo: John Arnold

About the author

Natascha Wolf is a teacher and principal at a primary school. She has three children. She is also a Sunday School teacher and conductor of the district children’s choir in Rottweil, Germany.