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October 21, 2026
Part Two: Making Room for Every Generation
Last week, I reflected on the changing face of Sunday morning worship and the reality that fewer children and young families are gathering with us as regularly as they once did.
We considered how busy family schedules, changing cultural expectations, and the need for rest have reshaped what Sundays look like for many households.
But this week, I want to ponder another question: What does it mean for us to be a church that welcomes and nurtures every generation, even when we don't see every generation every Sunday?
One of the beautiful things about the church has always been its intergenerational nature.
Where else do children regularly sit alongside grandparents, teenagers share a meal with retirees, or young parents find encouragement from people who have already walked the road they are traveling?
Church has traditionally been one of the few places where people of different ages and life experiences come together, not because they share the same interests or activities, but because they share a common identity as beloved children of God.
And when children are absent from our gatherings, we all miss something.
We miss their questions, their laughter, their curiosity, and sometimes even their unexpected interruptions. We miss the opportunity to learn from them, just as they miss opportunities to learn from us.
Jesus understood the importance of children in the community of faith. In Mark's Gospel, when the disciples tried to keep children away from him, Jesus responded, "Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs." (Mark 10:14)
Our calling is not to make families feel guilty about the Sundays they miss. Our calling is to make certain that whenever they walk through our doors, they know how glad we are that they are here.
That means welcoming the wiggles and whispers of children during worship. It means taking time to learn their names, showing interest in their lives, and helping parents know that their children are not a distraction from worship but a valued part of our worshiping community.
It also means recognizing that relationships and faith formation do not happen only on Sunday mornings. They happen through Sunday School, Confirmation, service projects, shared meals, conversations, and the many ways we connect with one another throughout the week.
And perhaps we need to remain open to discovering new ways of nurturing those connections as family life continues to change.
None of this means that Sunday worship is no longer important! Quite the opposite. Gathering together remains a gift, a time to hear God's Word, receive grace, pray together, and remember that we are part of something larger than ourselves.
But rather than measuring the health of our congregation only by how many children are in the pews on a particular Sunday, perhaps we should also ask: Are children and families known here? Do they feel loved? Do they experience belonging? Are we building relationships that will sustain them through the many seasons of their lives?
I hope the answer continues to be yes.
There may be fewer children in worship on any given Sunday than there once were. But that does not diminish their importance to our congregation or our responsibility to nurture their faith.
And when a family walks through our doors after being away for several weeks, may our first response never be, "Where have you been?" Instead, may it always be, "We are so glad you're here." Because that is what grace looks like. And that is the kind of church I pray we will always be.
See you in worship!
Pastor Kimberly Buffie
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