Is Children’s Worship too expensive? If wooden figures could talk...

Recently a new member in our congregation marveled at the expense of the Children’s Worship program. She wondered if the wooden figures were worth the expense. She suggested that we could just use clothespins or paper figures.

As I thought about this I picked up one of the wooden figures. It has been used in our church for almost 20 years. The wood has changed color from age and finger oils. I wondered how many children and how many worship leaders had used that figure to tell a Bible story. Some of the first children to use this figure are graduating from college this year. Some of them went on to be helpers in our program, then leaders. Now they are moving on to other churches and bringing what they learned with them.

Many years ago our church made a financial investment -- shelving, figures, fabric, larger classrooms, etc. If this was just a one year program then the money probably wouldn’t be worth it. But this program has been here for an entire generation. These figures have given many leaders, helpers and children an opportunity to gather around and experience the stories of God together. It is in a richer worship experience for the whole church because we are thinking about and involved in worship. The figures were a bargain.