How you decide which age groups attend children’s church depends greatly on your individual church dynamic. Here are a few items:
- At what age/grade does your children’s ministry end – i.e. 4th, 5th or 6th grade
- How your children’s ministry is divided in other ministries – for consistency
- Whether or not you have Sunday School in addition to Children’s Church
- The numbers and size of rooms available
- General church culture
When I think of children’s church, I see it as different from the traditional Sunday school (not just a name change). Sunday school is more of a classroom setting. Children’s church is more encompassing, including worship, songs, prayer, message, and other components that you might also see in a typical worship service. Depending on the time allotted, children’s church may also include a small group component along with the general message. Thus the question, “What age groups go to children’s church?” since everyone should attend Sunday school.
Here are some general thoughts.
As I noted on Teaching to a Range of Ages, preschool children should have their own children’s church time separate form the older children. I did have preschool children (3 and 4 year olds) with the larger group at the beginning when we did songs and start with prayer, then they were dismissed for their message/lesson.
Kindergarten could be part of either the preschool group or elementary aged group. That may depend on the breakdown of ages in your church and other ministries. Whichever way you go, seek for consistency.
The elementary age group should be Kindergarten through a minimum of 3rd grade up to a maximum of 6th grade. This is a wide range, but you can keep their attention and have them engaged as I share in Teaching to a Range of Ages.
One of the comments about children’s church is that children do not learn how to sit properly in the adult/combined service. If you run your children’s church effectively, then the children will learn that there are times to be serious, and times to be silly. It is our job to help them understand that line as as they age, they will have a greater understanding. With the larger age span, the older children will (or should be) examples to the younger, just as adults are the examples for the children in the adult/combined service.
Comment below with the ages you have in your children’s church and why.
