In the next few paragraphs, I am talking to church members and NOT unsaved visitors. In our church, we do not have a children's church. Nor do we have a nursery. We believe that the children belong in the services. That being said, that places the responsibility for the children's behavior right back on the parents or custodians where it belongs. If you are granted the privilege of having your children in the service, then you are responsible for controlling them. They cannot be running around during the service and distracting people; especially the unsaved whose souls are in danger. If they are out of control in the church, then they are out of control at home also. They have not been properly disciplined. If you let your children create a disturbance in church without disciplining them for it, then you are guilty of grieving the Holy Ghost. If you grieve the Holy Ghost, you are grieving the One who is responsible for convicting lost sinners of their sin and their need for a Saviour. Remember, God may dealing with someone about their salvation and the devil will use anything he can to distract them. If you let your children misbehave during church services, then you are guilty of ungodly behavior. You are sinning against God. I repeat my statements from above for the benefit of undisciplined PARENTS. If you will not discipline and punish your children, then YOU are guilty of sinning against God and sinning against your children. If you will not discipline your children, then YOU are putting THEM on the highway to HELL (Proverbs 23:14). If you will not discipline your children, then YOU are abusing them and you do NOT love them. In fact, the Bible says that YOU hate them (Proverbs 13:24). If you will not take the rod to your child, then YOU are putting them on a reckless high speed trip down the highway to hell in a vehicle where YOU have cut the break lines and YOU have wired the accelerator to the floor. One of the biggest deceptions and lies of the devil is: "I love my children (grandchildren) to much to spank them". If you will not spank your children, then your behaviour is screaming that you do not care what God thinks about the subject.

One of the most amazing things I have ever seen is the child who can go outside and play for three or four hours without having to go to the bathroom once and still have to go to the bathroom five or six times during a one hour sermon. It is amazing how good those kidneys work in church: and all that without water! I am not talking about people who have health problems that require frequent trips to the bathroom. Many times I have had to use the bathroom during a service and would not get up and go because it would be a distraction to the service. Children can be trained to do the same thing. Make them go to the bathroom before the service gets underway. Once again the responsibility lies with the adult. A child will do what they are disciplined to do. What if the preacher stopped during the preaching and went to use the bathroom?

We also understand that babies are going to cry. Crying is natural for babies. We need to be sensitive to what God is doing in the service. Many times it happens that at the time of the invitation just about every baby in the service will get stirred up and start crying. It is at that point in time that the parent should immediately take the baby out of the service until they stop crying. Remember, God may dealing with someone about their salvation!

Many times I have heard it said that church services are strictly worship services for the worship of the Lord Jesus Christ. While that should be true for saved people, it is NEVER true for the unsaved. The unsaved cannot worship the Lord Jesus Christ because they have neither his Spirit or his truth dwelling in them. Church services for the unsaved are times when they should be preached the gospel and told of their need to repent and put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Any child whose misbehaviour hinders the service must be removed from the service and properly disciplined. You MUST let your children know that they are expected to behave and be quiet in church. If you will not keep your children under control during church services, then you should not have a problem with an adult talking and roaming around during a church service.