Let’s be honest: church sometimes feels like an adults-only club.

Sometimes it feels like church is designed for adults while children are quietly “managed” elsewhere. They can’t wait to leave for Sunday school, and we can’t wait for them to go either. We expect them to be done precisely by the time the adult service closes, and sigh when their class runs over. Parents peek into classrooms while teachers are wrapping up mid-Bible-story. “Are you still teaching? We’ve closed o!”  And the children are learning a silent lesson: Church isn’t really for you.

One child put it bluntly:

“Church is for adults. Sunday school is just a babysitting club while adults have church.” Ouch!

But Jesus’ words are simple: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Luke 18:16)

“Let the Children Come,” But Not Too Close

Remember when Jesus’ disciples tried to block children from reaching Him? They thought they were doing Him a favour. After all, there were weightier matters. But Jesus flipped the script: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them…” (Mark 10:14).

If this happened today, you could almost imagine the ushers whispering, “Master, please, they’re disturbing…” But Jesus would still make time for them.

And let’s not forget the feeding of the 5,000 (John 6:1–14). That miracle began with a boy’s packed lunch. The boy wasn’t “in the way”; he was part of God’s plan. Imagine if his mother had said, “Small boy, stay home. The crusade is for adults.”

Invitation Sunday: Children vs. Adults

Saturday evening, I got this WhatsApp from my nine-year-old’s teacher:

“Good evening, Auntie. Trust you are well. Hope B is fine. Please, I’ll be visiting LIC tomorrow.”

Turns out B invited her to church, and she came! Adults, if we gave our kids an Invitation Sunday target, they’d put us to shame. Seriously.

The “Uncool” Years Are Coming

There’s a window of opportunity for this kind of boldness. The energy doesn’t last forever. At a certain age, inviting friends or teachers becomes “uncool.” So, when a senior high school graduate recently volunteered to help plan our Child Discipleship Forum, it felt like a victory worth celebrating, as did when other youth helped plan the Discipleship Capacity Building Workshop and served at the Freshers Reception.

Children want to be part of the church now, not someday. They just need space, trust, and encouragement.

When Discipleship Looks Like MoMo

Discipleship moments aren’t confined to church; sometimes, they arrive as minor interruptions, like the phone call I received this morning.

“Hello Auntie Awuraa Amma… we’re hungry in school o.”

It was E, my child’s friend’s cousin. Translation: Please send momo. Which, of course, I did. Sometimes discipleship looks like Bible study… and sometimes it looks like lunch money.

Another friend of my children, A, once called me just to check on me. Check on me o! Who raised this child? They just want to connect and feel a sense of belonging. And once trust is built, a lot of doors open…

The Inconvenience Factor

Here’s the truth: letting children serve in church is inconvenient. It means parents coming early, staying late, rearranging midweeks, etc. Children aren’t independent, so every “Yes” they give comes with an adult’s sacrifice. But Proverbs 22:6 reminds us:

“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old, they will not turn from it.”

It takes effort at the ministry level as well, thinking about how we can serve the younger population and minister to and with them. But posture is everything. Children can sniff out whether we see them as a nuisance or as fellow disciples. And they act accordingly.

Child Discipleship is messy, costly, and rarely convenient. But it’s worth it.

Quiet Kids, Big Surprises

I nearly fainted when I visited a high school once and saw one of our quiet LIC girls doing a tambourine dance with others like she’d been born to do it. The girl barely speaks in church when she is home! My mouth was open the whole time.

Another young man once called about an issue. I didn’t have all the answers, but I listened, shared, prayed, and connected him to a mentor. Sometimes that’s all young people need: a safe adult to call when life feels too big.

They’re Not the Future Church; They’re the Church Now

I was in Senior High School when LIC first formed its Praise Team; teens were named and invited to join. We weren’t “just kids.” We weren’t “future leaders” either. We were valued members of the church. That trust helped shape our faith.

Jesus didn’t see children as interruptions; He saw them as models of faith:

 “Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:15)

Conclusion

Church isn’t just for beautifully dressed adults, nodding solemnly through sermons. It’s for children, too, the noisy, wriggly, tambourine-dancing, momo-begging children who are ready to lead, serve, and surprise us.

So please, don’t be a child stopper. Make room for them. Let them sing their songs, dance their dances, ask their questions, and even invite their teachers to church.

Because who knows? The next miracle might just start with a child’s “small boy” lunchbox.

“Child Discipleship is designed to form lasting faith by helping children belong to God and His kingdom, believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, and become like Jesus and walk in His ways through the power of the Holy Spirit.”