Griggs Kids: First Sundays
On the first Sunday of every month, we intentionally welcome Griggs Kids ages six and older to sit in the service with their parents.
Our primary goals in this are twofold:
To raise biblically literate children who are integrated into the life of the church.
To support parents in raising their children to participate in corporate worship.
Why First Sundays Instead of Family Sundays?
In the past, Griggs attempted to meet these goals by hosting Family Sundays, which included all children (ages 0–10) in the service with us. We are thankful for that experience and it certainly was helpful in in its time. However, we have way more kids at Griggs now than when we started Family Sundays. So we believe First Sundays will better accomplish the goal for our current needs and also improve upon some of the challenges we faced during Family Sundays.
On Family Sundays, the number of babies and toddlers in the service often overwhelmed the room. As a result, the older children—those most ready to begin learning worship habits—struggled to hear the sermon and engage in worship.
Additionally, Family Sundays were only happening on months where there was a fifth week. This was too infrequent to serve as a healthy, gradual transition for kids moving from children’s ministry into corporate worship. Finally, the focus tended to shift toward simply “having kids in the room,” rather than truly integrating them into the life of worship.
Our aim is not to say that children’s worship is more important than that of others in the congregation, but rather to bring children into worship in a way that serves both them and the whole church body.
We believe First Sundays accomplish this balance. By integrating children more frequently, but in a more manageable way (only 6-10 year olds)—we give them meaningful opportunities to participate in worship while supporting parents as they train their children.
First Sundays are also ideal because the sermon is typically shorter, and believing children may take part in communion with their families.
Supporting Parents
We want to come alongside parents as they guide their children into the life of the church. To that end, we will:
Provide kid-friendly bulletins (workbooks) that match the sermon, encouraging children to bring their Bibles, listen carefully, and take notes.
Make a basket of resources available at the welcome table for parents to choose from, such as pens, highlighters, light-colored playdough, or gummy snacks. Parents can take only what they feel is helpful for their child, rather than each child receiving the same pre-made goodie bag.
Offer materials to help parents explain aspects of worship to their children, from using hymnals, to listening to sermons, to understanding the sacraments.
We will also post articles in the newsletter with practical ideas—such as how to set expectations before Sunday morning or how to prepare a “church bag” with a Bible, pen, highlighter, and perhaps a quiet toy or some paper.
A Gentle Transition
Our hope is that First Sundays will give parents a smoother way to transition their children into corporate worship. Rather than going from none of your children in the service to all of your children in the service, you can focus on guiding your older children first, helping them learn what it looks like to worship as part of the body of Christ, then your younger kids when the time comes.
We know there will be a learning curve. Kids are kids—they will feel bored at times, get antsy, and even make some noise. That’s okay. We love them! Which is why we’re trying obey Christ’s command to teach and train them in the knowledge of God. We’re looking for progress, not perfection.
