The little boy in the row in front of us was probably no more than three. He was busying himself with the communion cups as we sang the final hymn. He took the cup from under his mom’s chair and stacked it on his dad’s. He snatched a handful of others from the row and stacked them, too. Then he unstacked them. Then he banged them on his chair and stacked them again. It made some noise and caused a bit of a distraction. I gestured to my wife as we exchanged glances and smiled. We were both thinking the same thing: we really like this place!
When people ask why our family joined The Trails, this memory is the first one that comes to mind. We were drawn to this church because it wants our children to worship with us.
Worshipping Christ Together
The Trails Church serves our families well because it invites everyone in the family to see the beauty of what we treasure: Christ Himself. Rather than merely watching or entertaining kids, The Trails is one of those churches that supports parents in discipling them. From the nursery, to the toddler room, to Trails Kids, there’s a great place for every child to feel welcomed and to be purposefully pointed to Jesus. However, what I think makes The Trails particularly unique in the area of family ministry is how children are also welcomed into the corporate gathering.
Many things in life are "kid-centered." Children go to school with kids their own age. Free time is often spent with friends on social media or playing video games. And family time is often invested in our kids’ activities, like dance recitals and soccer games. Even the once-cherished ritual of family dinner is often overtaken by the busyness of child-centered programming. Yet, our kids have an opportunity each week to enter a different environment. An environment that’s not centered on them. One that lets them see people who aren’t like them unite around something greater than them. An environment that’s God-centered. And that place is corporate worship. A teenage girl can sing a song of praise next to her mom. A twelve-year-old boy can open his Bible next to his dad. A seven-year-old can cheer as his uncle gets baptized. And a four-year-old can watch as an elderly couple takes communion together.
Our church welcomes children to worship Christ with us in many different ways. Matt often takes the time to directly address the kids with a special sermon application for them. He encourages parents that crying babies are not cause for embarrassment but rather welcome evidence of God’s good grace to our growing church body. A senior in high school is baptized alongside a senior citizen. A father of small children leads a group of teens Wednesday nights in Trails Students. Pre-teens and teens are encouraged to serve in the nursery and in Trails Kids.
Getting to Come and See
At various times during a Sunday morning, I see up to four generations coming together. I can find my teenage daughters holding babies, visiting with one of my wife’s friends, or chatting with an 80-year-old. They also get to serve alongside people of different ages and backgrounds. Most importantly, they get to be fellow sojourners with us as we learn to love Jesus more through singing, corporate prayer, community, and the study of the Word.
That little boy stacking little plastic cups may not be able to understand the sweet ordinance of communion. He is merely touching and feeling it now. But next month, he might ask a question or two on the way home about what Mom and Dad were doing with those cups and tiny crackers. And next year, he may see his older sister come to faith, be baptized, and join Mom and Dad in communion. Whatever he sees from his chair in the days ahead, we know this: From his earliest memories, he will have breathed the air and tasted the sweetness of the gospel. What a gift it is to let the children come and see.