Joy in Every Voice: Why Children Belong at the Heart of the Church

One of the greatest blessings in any congregation is the sound of children—singing, laughing, whispering, asking questions, or even dropping crayons in the middle of worship. These sounds are not distractions. They are signs of life. They are reminders that the church is growing, breathing, and moving into the future.

Having children in church is more than a tradition. It is a joy-filled declaration that the story of faith is still unfolding.

Children Bring Joy, Energy, and Wonder

Children experience the world with an honesty and delight that adults often forget. When they sing during worship, rush forward for the children’s message, or wave at a friend across the pews, they show us what it looks like to approach God with openness and trust.

Their presence reshapes our worship. Their questions deepen our understanding. Their enthusiasm reminds us that faith is an adventure—not a routine.

And when children are welcomed fully, they learn that church is not something adults do for them but a community they belong to.

Showcasing Gifts Helps Children Discover Their Place

Children’s plays, musical performances, scripture readings, and Christmas pageants are more than seasonal traditions—they are powerful moments of spiritual formation. When a child stands on a stage dressed as a sheep, sings a solo, plays handbells, or reads a line from Luke’s Gospel, they are doing more than performing. They are practicing discipleship.

They are learning: “I have something to offer here.” “My church believes in me.” “My voice matters.”

Celebrating children’s talents—whether artistic, musical, dramatic, or simply the gift of being joyfully present—helps them see that they are valued members of the congregation. It invites them to step into leadership in ways that are meaningful and memorable.

Ownership Builds the Next Generation of Church Leaders

When children know that church is their place—not just a place where they sit quietly—everything changes.

A child who feels welcome grows into a youth who feels confident.A youth who feels confident becomes a young adult who serves. A young adult who serves becomes a leader who helps shape the future of the church.

Ownership leads to faith that lasts. And ownership begins now—with the way we greet them, include them, and celebrate them.

The Church Grows Stronger When Every Generation Shares the Story

Intergenerational worship is one of the church’s greatest treasures. When children sing beside elders, when teens help with younger kids, when grandparents cheer during a Christmas pageant, the body of Christ becomes visible in all its fullness.

Children need the church. But the church also needs children.

They bring imagination, openness, honesty, and joy—qualities that strengthen the whole community. They remind us that God continues to work in new ways, through new voices, and with new dreams.

A Christmas Season Invitation

As we move through Advent and into Christmas, let us celebrate every child who walks through our doors. Let us cheer for them when they sing, applaud when they act, and encourage them when they try something new. Let us give them space to lead, create, and shine.

Because when children feel at home in the church, they come to believe that the church’s story is their story too.

And that is the greatest gift we can give them—and the most hopeful investment we can make in the future of our faith.

Bibliography

United Methodist Church & Discipleship Ministries Resources

Discipleship Ministries. n.d. “Children’s Ministries.” The United Methodist Church.

Discipleship Ministries. n.d. “Family and Intergenerational Ministries.”

The United Methodist Church. n.d. Book of Resolutions of the United Methodist Church. Nashville: United Methodist Publishing House.

The United Methodist Church. n.d. “Why United Methodists Value Children in Worship.”

The General Board of Discipleship. n.d. “Safe Sanctuaries Guidelines.”

Children’s Ministry Leadership & Formation Resources

Bunge, Marcia J. 2008. The Child in the Bible. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

Beckwith, Ivy. 2004. Postmodern Children’s Ministry. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Dean, Kenda Creasy. 2010. Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers Is Telling the American Church. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Lloyd-Jones, Sally. 2007. The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

May, Scottie, Beth Posterski, Catherine Stonehouse, and Linda Cannell. 2005. Children Matter: Celebrating Their Place in the Church, Family, and Community. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

Curriculum & Practical Programming

Group Publishing. n.d. Hands-On Bible Curriculum. Loveland, CO: Group Publishing.

SPARKhouse. n.d. Whirl / Spark / Frolic Curricula. Minneapolis: 1517 Media.United Methodist Publishing House. n.d. Deep Blue Kids Curriculum.