Recently the folks at FlyBy Promotions sent me a free copy of Rufus and Ryan Go to Church, to review. Here are my thoughts:
Published in 2013, this is a lovely board book written by Kathleen Long Bostrom. The story tells about Ryan and his stuffed animal, Rufus, as they attend Sunday morning worship. The author describes in order the events of the day, beginning with Ryan getting dressed for church. Once the family arrives, the author takes the reader through the typical elements of a worship service, including singing, Bible story time, and prayer. Throughout the story, the author alerts the reader to Ryan's courteous behavior.
As I read the book, I thought of several reasons I'd like to purchase more. I'd love to have one of these in the church nursery, one in the foyer at our children's welcome table, and one to carry in my church bag to share with my 4 year-old. What a great way to introduce the concept of worship to our young ones. And, according to FlyBy, there are more to come:
This is just one of the first
titles in a new series of inspirational books for preschoolers. Also
available now: Rufus and Ryan Say Their Prayers.
I strive to teach my children how to participate in worship in a way that not only glorifies God and blesses them, but also doesn't keep others from being able to focus on their worship. The results aren't perfect, but I'm in this for the duration!
I do believe that most of the pressure moms feel about their children's behavior during worship is self-imposed. After all, as my husband, who is a pastor, reminds his congregation: The sounds of children during worship are coming from the future church! Still, we moms have to try, right? Here are some really good ideas to supplement the book.
TOP TEN TIPS FOR
INTRODUCING YOUR CHILD TO WORSHIP
- Attend a child-friendly church. A
church that invites children to attend worship, that has a children’s time during
worship or a service in which children are included, will not mind the noise
and commotion that comes with having young children in worship.
- Bring
your child to church on a day other than Sunday morning. Call the church office and make an
appointment with a pastor, Christian education director, or church school
teacher. Go on a tour of the church facility, and locate the Sunday school rooms
and bathrooms as well as the sanctuary. Let your child explore the sanctuary, see
how it feels to sit in the pew, and leaf through the Bibles and hymnbooks. Look
behind the pulpit, Communion table, and baptismal font, and explain the use of
these.
- Take
home a worship bulletin and go through the service at home. Show
your child that there are times to sit, to stand (and in some places, to kneel),
to sing, to pray, and to listen. If the Lord’s Prayer is used, write down the words
and let your child practice at home. Prepare offering envelopes and let your
child put money in the envelope, and explain why the offering is important.
- Play “Let’s go to church” at home. Practicing
the worship service at home will help your child feel more comfortable with
what happens in worship.
- Read
the Bible and pray at home. Purchase
an age-appropriate Bible for your child and read the stories. Let your child
handle the Bible and encourage questions. You can explain that the Bible is where
we learn God’s story, and how we are part of that story. If you let prayer be a
part of your everyday life, not just something you do at church, your child
will understand its importance.
- Sit
near an aisle or in a place where you can make an exit if needed. If
your child needs to go to the bathroom, or is feeling overly stimulated or having
a disruptive day, don’t be embarrassed. Walk your child out of the sanctuary
until she can work off a little energy, and then come back in. This is much
easier if you don’t have to crawl across a row of other people in the pew!
- Be prepared with a worship notebook or bag. Many
churches provide materials for children to use during worship, but if not,
bring your own supplies. Colored pencils can be used to mark the parts of
worship in the bulletin as you go through them one by one. Get to church a few
minutes in advance and use a bookmark to mark the hymns that will be sung that
day. Have some coloring pages from a Bible coloring book for your child to
color, or some blank pages for doodling. This is not disrespectful, and can
help your child listen more attentively. Have the words of the Lord’s Prayer
printed on a page for the child to follow, if he or she is of reading age. Let
your child draw a picture of the anthem or hymns being sung, or the sermon, and
give this to the choir director or pastor afterwards.
- Teach
basic church etiquette. Speak
to people before and after worship, and teach your child how to shake hands and
greet others. If your child is shy, don’t
force it, but practice at home and let your child see you greeting others. Let
the child put the hymnbook and Bible away after use, and be sure to take your
bulletin with you, rather than leaving it in the pew. Meeting other people and
taking care of the church facility helps a child feel that “This is my church!”
- Get
to know the pastor. Pastors of child-friendly churches love
to get to know the children of the church. Introduce your child to the pastor
after worship, and participate in other church activities so that the pastor becomes
a friend and not a scary adult.
- Don’t
give up! It
may take awhile for your child to become comfortable in worship, and to learn
how to sit quietly. The best way for this to happen is to attend worship on a
regular basis. There may be days when it doesn’t go well, but don’t let this
stop you from coming the following week. Practice makes perfect!
For More Information
Ideals Books Website
Ideals Books on Facebook
Disclosure of Material Connection:
I
received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for
free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only
recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good
for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal
Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of
Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
The Giveaway!
Thanks to Fly By and Ideals Books, you can enter to win a copy for your little one!
