• Begin talking to your child now about participating in the worship service with you, modeling a positive anticipation about including him or her in worship.

• Consult the church website on Friday to find out the order of worship for Sunday’s service, including songs and Scripture passages.  Have a time of heart preparation for the whole family on Saturday night.

• Set the expectation that your child will pay attention during the service.  Our attention is a gift of worship we can bring to God.

• Leave toys, books, coins, and papers at home or in the car.  Without these distractions he or she will be better able to pay attention.

• Sit as close to the front as possible so that your child can see everything.  It will be easier for him or her to pay attention to what he or she can see.

• If you fear your child may disrupt the service sit near the back so that you can exit easily until he or she is able to sit quietly.

• Sit close to your child so you can whisper reminders and redirect his or her attention when needed.

• Point to the words of the songs, scriptures and responsive reading and have your child follow your finger as he or she listens. 

• As your child learns the songs encourage him or her to sing along as much as he knows, even if it is just part of the song.

• As your child’s reading skills emerge encourage him or her to read as many words as he recognizes during the responsive reading.

• Be clear about the expectations you have of your child during the service and about consequences.  Be consistent and prepared to follow through.

• Avoid the water fountain between Sunday School and worship.

• Take a trip to the bathroom between Sunday School and worship.

• Don’t allow bathroom trips during worship (except in emergencies).

• Be prepared to leave the sanctuary with your child when necessary to patiently reiterate your expectations.  Don’t be embarrassed to do this—we all know you are in training! And we applaud your efforts!  Return to worship as quickly as possible. 

• Remember this is a learning process and will require patience and encouragement. Commend your child when he or she does well.

To learn more about training your child to joyfully worship God I recommend the book, Parenting in the Pew by Robbie Castleman, which can be found in the church Resource Center.