[FONT="]The idea that someone would become a member of a church that was not equipped or poorly equipped to teach their children makes no sense to me. It seems at odds with the notion that said concerned person would, after becoming a member, insist that children not be separated from them. If indeed they are careful enough to have a concern for what is being taught would they not refuse membership to a church that was not equipped to handle God’s word adequately for their children?[/FONT]
This rests on the assumption that a church without age-segregated services and ministries is poorly equipped for the education of children. I think the NT church would beg to differ. The question is not, Are the children taught?, but, How are the children taught? Some churches think it can be done better with parental teaching at home and a combined service on Sundays.
Bear in mind that the Church at large has an 85% apostasy rate among church kids. Whatever we're doing, it isn't working. The argument has been made (and I think it's a good one) that separating kids from the worship service (and also giving the youth their own worship services) teaches kids that "Church isn't for me. It's for old, boring people. It's not interesting and has nothing to say to me." They grow up being taught this by practice, and then their parents are surprised when they still believe it after 18.
As a youth minister, I say phooey. This is not what happens at all. What actually happens, especially with church's that do not have youth/children programs, is the youth end up trying to take a leadership role in something simple (such as playing a contemporary worship song during the service), and they get scowls from a bunch of people, because they aren't doing it "their" way.
The segregated system is not the problem. Education NEEDS to be segregated. The Church is already stupid enough. The majority of the people in most churches, even reformed churches, are completely theologically ignorant. Now you would like us to dumb down the message MORE to a 6 year old level? I don't think that is a good idea. You don't teach a 6 year old Algebra...nor do you try to teach them the complexities of the eschatological debate, or presuppositional apologetics. Adult believers, on the other hand, SHOULD be learning these things.
No question the parents should be more involved. They should be holding the people teaching their children accountable. They, along with the elders of the church, should be closely examining, and providing oversight over, the children's classes. And of course they should be instructing them at home.
One last thing; comparing the first century church to the modern church, is really unhelpful. First, there is no evidence that the children were not instructed separately. That they "gathered together" could just as well be the same way we gather together at my house...and yet the children are still doing their own thing. An argument from silence does not a biblical law make.
Again, the problem is not the methodology, the problem is content. Too many Youth and children's minister's make Sunday School/Worship about "fun."
As a guy involved in college ministry, the stats are not “phooey.”
Education does not need to be segregated. There is no rule that states that they can not learn with a mixed age. The mixture of age groups could actually help reinforce positive learning in a “one-school-room environment.” Plus with more adult present then that encourages even more positive behavior and learning.
The reason why children and adults are so dumb is because their not being taught the scriptures, period. Many churches have turned children’s church and the Sunday school hour into glorified play time, without any church oversight and accountability. If things are taught then they are not the gospel. Typically it just something moral like “no sex before marriage,” “don’t smoke,” you need to believe “creationlism”, invite people to church, and “ give your testimony because there no way someone disagree with your experience.” By the way I have major issues with the latter statement because of the subjective nature of testimonies, but that besides the point. There is little gospel that goes on and I specially see it in the SBC. Other denominations are just as guilty based on the fact that the MAJORITY of incoming MDIV students cannot pass a basic Bible exam. The fault overall the lack of knowledge of these kids and their parents falls to us as teachers and ministers of the Word. There is little theology that is actually taught from the cradle to the grave, which reflects the reason why so many kids have left mainline churches across the board.
Things that must be taught are textual criticisms, outlines of entire books of the Bible (there no excuse for a kid to grow up in the church and not have the entire Bible taught to them), the Proverbs and Psalms, basic systematic theological categories and their application, church history from Acts to the present, and lastly Apologetics. The most important thing being able to communicating the gospel. The biblical languages would also be nice.
The lack of what being taught in our churches communicates to the young people that theology is not important. Especially when parents are not engaged in learning it.
I also think creating a children’s service, a children’s church, is dangerous because it purposely during the worship of God divides the unity of the ages to worship God. The worship service is just as much for the 3 year old and the seven year old as compared to the 77 year old. They can learn from the adults how one worships, which includes the hearing of the sermon, and if they didn’t understand the sermon then the child’s father must explain the sermon. If the father did not understand the main points then he needs to talk to the pastor so he can understand and be able to teach his children.
And for the folks that complain about kids making noise in church, they need to learn how to be gracious and interact with the kids.
The result of the segregation of children from church will result in the segregation of teenage and young adult worship services. And if you think this isn’t true, then let me say this. It is already happening. I can name in the SBC and in non-denominational churches where that the case is actually occurring.