# Origin of "Children's Church"



## Marrow Man (Jan 6, 2016)

I would suspect that the concept "children's church" (the practice where young children in the congregation are taken out of the regular worship service and taught by a volunteer/church worker in other area of the church building) probably originates in the mid-20th century, but I am at a loss for data detail how this arose in so many churches.

If someone could provide a link or a written source, I would be grateful.


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## jwithnell (Jan 6, 2016)

In the 60s, we (through about first grade) stayed in the service until right before to pastoral prayer in an old United Presbyterian church. I never heard the term until maybe the 90s in broadly evangelical churches -- and that kept kids out of the whole service.


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## BGF (Jan 6, 2016)

This may have shared before on a different thread but this may be helpful.

https://youtu.be/VKh8CEFa8PE


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## NaphtaliPress (Jan 6, 2016)

In college circa 1980 the PCA church I attended had a children's sermon, where they came up and sat on the steps leading up to the pulpit and the minister came down and sat with them and 'preached.' I don't remember if after that they were ushered out. In my home church I recall there was a something directed at the children but it may have been occasional; memory fails. There was a rather healthy nursury though and children were already out of the service.


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## Edward (Jan 6, 2016)

Googling around the internet, I saw a suggestion that Danny Hyde's book _The Nursery of the Holy Spirit: Welcoming Children in Worship_ might have some relevant material.


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## BGF (Jan 6, 2016)

The PCUSA church I attended in the 80s also had a children's sermon. The kids would gather at the front for the lesson and then return to the pews for the duration of the service. The Baptist church I attended in the late 90s did not have children's church per se but the younger ones were deposited in the "nursery".


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