| How to get
your family to church on Sunday morning
Rounding up family members
and moving them from home to pew requires different tools on
different Sundays. Maintain flexibility in your struggle. Be
proactive.
- Shift into battle mode
in advance of Saturday night
Obstacles may include Sunday morning cartoons,
stubbornness, fatigue from Saturday evening activities,
slow chewing at breakfast, and so on.
- Approach the problem as
a team whenever possible
In cases where two parents live in the household,
both must support the decision to attend church
regularly. Work it out prior to Sunday morning.
Remember, the family is not a democracy.
- Make as many
preparations as possible in advance of advance
of Sunday morning.
Per-select church clothes after checking the
next day’s forecast. Include matching dress socks and
clean underwear. Plan a quick breakfast. Set multiple
alarm clocks equipped with battery backup in case of
power outages.
- Preempt
stomachaches, headaches, and other "illnesses."
If a miraculous
recovery following church appears imminent, make it
clear that whatever illness and subsequent treatment
comes for the morning, stays through the day.
- Make
church an ironclad routine.
"It’s church
night," easily replaces, "It’s a school night."
- Know
the law: "Remember the Sabbath day, and keep in
holy."
Relaxing,
fishing, becoming one with nature, and washing the car
do not count as keeping the Sabbath. It’s a
Commandment; look it up.
- Pray
for help.
Miracles do happen.
Be Aware
- If
your family reports disliking church, attempt to
discover why and make changes when feasible. Be ready to
adjust your own attitude to boost church-attendance
morale among your family members.
- Both
parents attending church is the single largest indicator
of whether a child will attend church in adulthood.
(According to a recent study, when both parents attend
church regularly, 72 percent of children continue in the
faith. When only the father attends, that percentage
drops to 55 percent. But when only the mother attends,
just 15 percent of children remain involved in the
church.)
- People
who attend worship are more likely to volunteer their
time to make a positive contribution to society.
- How
you spend your time is a reflection of your values and
beliefs. Actions speak louder than words. Get driving.
- Consider
bathing small children on Saturday night to save time
Sunday morning.
From
The Christian Handbook, Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress,
2005, pp 45-47.
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