Church Etiquette

[Pastorj]

Good Evening,

What are things that should be taught to people, that no one seems to want to teach on.

Here's Mine: The church is not a playground. The church sanctuary is not a place for kids to be running around in. It is a place to worship God. I could say a lot more, but I don't want to get into an argument.


This thread is not for arguing against other people. Just list your etiquette issues.

Thanks

[John81]

No kids playing with noisy toys.

No tapping the pew with your feet. (someone has been doing this at church the past few weeks and during prayer time it sounds really loud and it's certainly distracting)

No popping gum.

[Pastorj]

Excellent, thanks John

[CJP56]

One thing I thought of is: DON'T TALK and GAB and GIGGLE during the church service!!!!! The complete church service. Some people would like to hear what is being sung or said!!!!!
Oh, another thing: Make sure you take all the stuff you brought IN with you, OUT with you. Please don't leave wadded up tissues and papers and candy wrappers and junk on the pew for someone else to clean up. (Can you tell I have cleaned church auditoriums before? Hee hee.) CJP56.

[OLD fashioned preacher]

Leave the toilet (and floor around it) as clean as if YOU had to clean it!! (Done my share of church janitorial, too).


Had to actually make an announcement one a.m. in church to the young people, "I don't which boy it was, but, that toilet makes for a mighty big hole. If you can't hit it, stand closer!".

[JerryNumbers]

Children, young children, can be taught how they ought to behave in church, that is if their parents will do so.

And if the parents will teach their children properly there does not have to be in a nursery, I've seen living proof of this over and over again, church is for the whole family with the family together.

Yes, early one there will be times where the mother & or father will have to take the child out of the sanctuary during worship service, but if they will handle things properly it will soon stop.

Seems to me, for many churches, the whole church grounds have become nothing but a play ground and it spills over into the sanctuary.

[John81]

Children, young children, can be taught how they ought to behave in church, that is if their parents will do so.

And if the parents will teach their children properly there does not have to be in a nursery, I've seen living proof of this over and over again, church is for the whole family with the family together.

Yes, early one there will be times where the mother & or father will have to take the child out of the sanctuary during worship service, but if they will handle things properly it will soon stop.

Seems to me, for many churches, the whole church grounds have become nothing but a play ground and it spills over into the sanctuary.

[Pastorj]

I agree with you 100%.

[hspeer]

Cell phones, PDAs, etc. should be turned off and there should be no texting in church. This seems to be a growing problem.

[Pastorj]

I agree. I leave mine in the car.

[Pastor Matt]

Cell phones' date=' PDAs, etc. should be turned off and there should be no texting in church. This seems to be a growing problem.[/quote']

Have you tried texting them to tell them to stop?

[heartstrings]

There are teenagers and grown women who sit near the back, talk whisper, giggle, rattle papers, balance their checkbooks, text message and anything else. I'm a firm beleiver in teaching them how to behave when they're little. I learned very young how to stay quiet and still during preaching as I remember my mom PINCHING me once or twice, that's all it took. She never had to take me out during service. All my kids learned to be quiet and sit still in the sanctuary too, without need for a nursery.. I never pinched them, but took them out once or twice. I now have a 20 yearold married, and a 16 and 22 year old at home. Today they are all in church and know how to be quiet and behave during preaching.

I believe the only time a nursery is needed is if a woman needs to do someting like breastfeed her baby or change a diaper. Kids shouldn't stay back there all the time. They can begin training to be quiet and sit still during service, from the time they are very small.

[OLD fashioned preacher]

Children, young children, can be taught how they ought to behave in church, that is if their parents will do so.

And if the parents will teach their children properly there does not have to be in a nursery, I've seen living proof of this over and over again, church is for the whole family with the family together.

Yes, early one there will be times where the mother & or father will have to take the child out of the sanctuary during worship service, but if they will handle things properly it will soon stop.

Seems to me, for many churches, the whole church grounds have become nothing but a play ground and it spills over into the sanctuary.

I agree, but also remember many times churches also have children there w/ no parent or who are only allowed to come if they bring their baby bro or sis. Then you get visitors who don't make the kids behave @ home and sure won't do it in public.

I've had many a mother upset w/ me for calling down their brat --- had that in W-M a few times ,too.

[JerryNumbers]

My mother used the pinching technique on me too. It worked, and it will still work. By the time I got to 10 - 12 years of age I could set anywhere I wanted to for mother knew I would not cause trouble during preaching service.

But parents can't pick on their children one minute them the next pinch them for not behaving, many modern day mothers, fathers, grandparents try this, it don't work for the good of the children.

When this subject comes up I always think of this, maybe some of you have not heard me tell about it.

Linda and I were setting close to the back in the left hand pews, a couple of pews up from us on the opposite side set the pastors wife and her grandchildren. She had been picking with one of them causing a young woman who was setting in front of me to lose concentration in what her pastor husband was saying.

Finally it got a bit to rowdy, the pastors wife tried to quite him down. This child had a friction car, he ran it over the pews, the wheels were spinning quite fast, held it up to his grand mothers hair, her hair got all tangled up in the wheels of the friction car. In a way it was quite comical to me, for the pastors wife got what she deserved, but the sound that came from her mouth startled everyone in the church, including her pastor husband behind the pulpit. No, it was not a bad word, but it was quite loud, I know it must have hurt both when it happened and when she was trying to get it untangled from her hair.

It taught her a lesson, but not really a good one, from them on her grandson could not have a friction car to play with during preaching service, but he had many other toys and she kept right on picking with him at times during preaching service. I don't understand such people who show no more respect for Jesus' Church and their fellow church members.

[okjac80]

I will have to disagree a wee little bit. I have 4 kids, ages 8,6,4, and almost 2. A lot of the time I am by myself. My husband deploys well over half the year. (Not consecutively 6 months, but more like 2months home, 2 months gone, etc or 3 gone, 3 home,). Anyway my 8 and 6 year old are just fine. My 4 year old, AKA Miss Wiggle Worm, is almost there. I still have to remind her to sit still a time or 2, but haven't had to take her out in a loooonnnnggg time. Anyway, even though I make my 22 month old sit still for dinner, reading, stories, etc, there is just no way I could have her sitting still for the service by myself. It would be one thing when daddy is home and can sit w/ the other 3 if I had to take her out, but I am always at a loss as to what I could do w/ the other 3!!
Our church has a nusery/extended session for up to age 3. That seems to work really well. We take advantage of it, but them keep them w/ us when they turn 3.

I have been to some churches that have "children's church" up to age 6th grade!!!!!