Another Perspective on Our Kids

(After my March 29 entry, which was heartfelt, yet harsh, I received an e-mail from Amy with the following perspective which I really respected):

"I look at it from a mentoring perspective. It is very good for kids to see
how adults worship and learn in a time set aside for that purpose. If our
kids only see the adults, that mean so much to them, before and after church
they miss out on the vulnerable times. Those times when adults are
learning, worshiping and truly moved by the Spirit of God. It will make
those things so much more natural for our kids than it is for most of us.

Just as we don’t expect all the adults to get all their spiritual food at
the gathering, we shouldn’t expect the kids to either. As parents it is our
responsibility to teach our kids daily. I think when you put them in a
class, we start relying on others to fill that need. Kids love being with
their parents! It is really the way God created them, it is our society
that thinks differently. My kids have learned more from Joe
than any Sunday school class they have ever been in. I just think we do
more for our kids by including them in “real life” that secluding them to
their peers. I know that the friends I have at Apex love having the kids
included! I have heard lots of “I love keeping my family together” and
haven’t heard any complaints. Our kids are learning a much bigger spiritual
lesson by being at our sides than if they were playing “mother may I” and
listening to a Bible story."

(If you have other perspectives, e-mail me. Maybe we can start a healthy and constructive discussion on this issue).