Unpopular opinion time.
I don’t like children’s services for Christmas.
So, to be clear: This is an opinion. I am not saying that churches that hold children’s Christmas services are sinning or have false teachers or are being unfaithful. I am not saying that someone with a different opinion than mine is a dumb-dumb poo-poo head or other naughtier words. This is my opinion, though I personally think it’s a good one.
What am I talking about with a “Children’s service for Christmas?” I’m talking about one special worship service (or possibly more) where the children sit in the front of the church, recite Luke 2, sing a bunch of the songs, and often have memorized recitations that replace any kind of devotion, sermon, or anything else. It’s all kids, all the time.
Why don’t I like it? I’ll sum up: Any benefit of doing a children’s Christmas service can be done better without a special children’s Christmas service.
- It gets the children involved. – It does! It’s good to have the children learn how to speak Scripture in front of the congregation. By why do it once a year during a stressful time? Why not have children read the Bible lessons regularly (not every week) all year long? It puts less stress on the kids and on their teachers. They don’t need to memorize an entire worship service, and it shows that kids aren’t trotted out just at “special” times. Their service is simply a regular part of church life!
- It helps the kids memorize Scripture. – It does! So many people in our church life here have Luke 2 memorized. But… really, is Christmas the touchpoint you want kids to memorize? Why not have a special children’s Easter service? That’s way more important! (But if you take my suggestion and have kids involved all year long, hey, they’ll be doing stuff at Easter, too!) Also, really, the kids need to be grounded in Scripture so much more than just in Luke 2. How about have them and adult members of the congregation memorize as a lifelong activity?
- It lets the children lead worship. – Yes, this is true. But is that the best way to do worship? Very seldom have I seen a child-led Christmas service be done well. Most of the time, a few of the kids have their recitations down, but most I can’t understand through mumbling or kids not memorizing or whatever. I do want kids involved with worship, but let’s do it in a way that will not only benefit the kids but preach the Gospel well! I’ve had kids involved in my sermons. I’ll arrange ahead of time for one or two to help me with an illustration. Everyone benefits!
- It’s good evangelism! – Is it? I am all for using special worship services as an excuse to invite someone to worship that may not be regularly attending. That said, does this work? Is the Gospel conveyed well? Would someone who doesn’t already know Jesus be able to understand what Christmas is about? Maybe sometimes, but most of the time, it’s about nice old music. I’d argue that if the allure of children will get someone to hear the Gospel, it’s better to do it throughout the year—not at one special service, but as part of the culture of the church regularly. (Also, I’d argue that evangelism works so much better in conversations, not in bribing someone to come to church.)
- It’s traditional! – Yep. It sure is in many churches. But doing something just because it’s traditional isn’t a great thing. Sometimes traditions work so well to point us to Christ. Other times they only disappoint.
- Look, I did it growing up. – Great. You did lots of things growing up. That doesn’t make them good. No, it doesn’t make them bad, either. But just because one person did it, that doesn’t mean it’s the best way to do anything. Do you only listen to music you heard growing up? Do you only watch shows that you watched growing up?
- If Grandma can’t watch her precious recite Luke 2, she’ll have a stroke. – If Grandma is that tied to watching little Bobby recite, why not have it do it at home? Show both kid and grandma that the Bible isn’t for church, but for all of life.
- Listen, buddy, I want to see my kid in front of church! – Why? What I’ve seen more often than not is that the entire service becomes an idol. People pay more attention to the kids than the message they’re supposed to be giving. It becomes about the kids, not Christ.
I’m sure there are a bunch of other reasons to have a children’s Christmas service. Again, I’m not telling anyone they’re being unfaithful or sinning if they have one, nor am I saying that anyone who likes such services are clearly evil.
I would ask why churches spend so much time on them, though. I’ve been to churches where children didn’t attend Sunday school for three months prior to the service, because they were working on it. The kids knew Christmas well… but pretty much nothing else. I’ve seen places where the kids’ service is the focal point of the year. Both those practices bother me greatly.
So maybe I’m more reacting to abuse of that special service, and not what it’s meant to be. I’m willing to admit it.
Christmas is not about kids. It’s not about family, either. It’s about Christ. It’s celebrating that God became flesh and dwelled among us. It’s about Jesus coming to die for sinners. Those things will never be popular. They don’t make you feel good. They’re mysterious and point to how sinful we are, that this is what was necessary to free us. On the other hand, it’s amazing to see how far God would go for us.
But for now, at least, that’s my opinion of the matter. I know it’s not popular.
I guess I’m comfortable not being popular, though!
Ordained for Growth 