As a mama of two, I want to pack things that will be helpful in worship when needed, but I don’t want to pack too many distractions that it misses opportunities to guide and teach during the service. My goal is not to have her bounce from activity or keep her busy, but to help during the moments that it’s harder to be still or if I am helping Clay. Every Sunday is different; sometimes I don’t need to bring out the snack and other Sundays it’s how we get through the service!
Here are a few things we bring:
• A wet bag: This can be helpful to store milk bags, water bottlers, or a place for blowouts and accidents. You can stick it right in the washing machine when you get home!
• My first hymnal: This is the book we use for our devotion at night and we bring it to church too. It doesn’t have every hymn, but it has many and gives her another point of familiarity. When the hymn isn’t there, we pretend.
• A Bible activity/sticker book: You can peel off the back of the stickers to make it easier for them to take them off
• Drawing pad: I like to have a “toy” that she only brings to church and she loves to draw and it doesn’t make a mess🙌🏼
• A snack cup: make a fun trail mix so there is a variety. We often try and hold off on a snack until the sermon. My daughter is two and eventually I will try and have her wait till after the service.
At home throughout the week, I try to teach prayers, songs, or phrases she will hear in church so she recognizes it and is excited to participate. During our nightly devotion before bed, we use the “My First Hymnal” book and we will practice the Lord’s Prayer either by ‘repeat after me’ style or we say it slowly.
On Saturday night, we pack the church bag with these activities, diapers, wipes and an extra change of clothes for baby brother. We also pick out our clothes the night before and lay them out. I hold up two options for Lylah and let her choose. When we are doing this, I have a conversation with her about going to church in the morning and what we will be doing at the service. I say things like, “When you wake up in the morning we are going to eat breakfast, get dressed, and go to church” or I ask questions like, “What do we do at church?” (Sing, pray to Jesus, give offering, go up for communion) or “Who do you think we will see at church?” A lot of my conversations with her are similar, but I know the repition helps anticipate what the day will look like and make it more familiar.
No matter what phase you are in with worship, you are covered in His grace and you are doing Holy work!
