Lessons from pre-schoolers

Ever watch a bunch of 3-5 year olds at a birthday party? I did this afternoon.

My nephew's 4th birthday party was today. About 11 mostly pre-school kids gathered to help him celebrate, along with that many and a few more parents and a grandma. Ty got lots of neat toys and games. Trains, trucks and cars are the hot ticket item for little boys his age.

After the cake and opening the gifts the kids began to play. Actually, they were playing before all that. Prior to the cake and the gifts they began to have a great time jumping off of a rolled up carpet. They all did it and it seemed like it was the most fun they had ever had. Jumping off a rolled up carpet. Nothing structured; no game nazi calling the shots.

Then after the gifts were opened the hottest item to play with? A ball. Sure, there were remote controlled monster trucks and other "cool" stuff. But the simple round ball got the most attention. None of the parents seemed concerned that the more sophisticated toys were for the most part ignored.

And we've all seen Christmases and birthdays with even littler ones where their favorite thing to play with is not the toys we adults think they'll enjoy the most but the boxes and the wrapping and the bows.

The longer I'm around baby believers the more I'm convinced that some churches tend to go overboard trying to help them "grow up". Maybe all they really need early on are the simple lessons and time to interact and discover the simple things of the faith and have a group to share that joy and life with.

With proper "parenting" (Paul called Timothy his "son" in the faith), the more mature can guide young believers when they're ready to more "adult level" faith exercises. In a healthy church family it will happen and happen with more simplicity and more naturally than sometimes we realize.

Of course, there are far too many churches who never help them grow past the juvenile, either. But that's another post.