Two Boys in Church

Kids in church. It’s the stuff of many a hilarious story. Some churches ban children from the worship service. Today, we have two texts — each relating a story of a boy in “church.” 

You never know what children might do or say in church, and most congregations develop their own policies and practices.

Sometimes, parents are able to explain to their children why they need to behave or be quiet in a worship service. One mother counseled her little girl about proper behavior in church and then asked her if she understood.

“Honey, do you understand why we need to be quiet in church?”

The child said, “Uh-huh. Because people are sleeping.”

When parents are not with their children, however, things can go south quickly. Stan Purdum tells the story of a little boy, “Freddie,” who single-handedly disrupted the education and worship experiences week after week in a church where Purdum was the pastor.

“Jesus loved him,” Purdum said, “but after several months of his regular attendance, some of the rest of us weren’t so sure that we did. But still, it was our job to help Freddie know Jesus’ love and, if we...