setup: [E-Mail Ministry] Bring Those Babies to Church

The following is an E-Mail Ministry message. If you are not already a
subscriber and would like to be, please see the bottom of this message.
UNSUBSCRIBE and CHANGE OF ADDRESS information at the end of this e-mail.

<><     <><     <><     <><     <><     <><     <><     <><     <><

BRING THOSE BABIES TO CHURCH

My heart goes out to the parents of small children. I know first hand the
kind of problems they face. Training up a toddler in the way he should go
is a constant job, a continuous battle, seven-day-a-week task, not to
mention an awesome responsibility. After six days of their whining chorus
at home and three hours of embarrassment while shopping, the last thing some
young mothers want to face is an hour of agony and humiliation at church.
Many young mothers have asked herself, "Why do I keep bringing them to
church?" As she enters the auditorium she utters a silent prayer that the
kids will be good and the sermon short. The service begins. While mother is
picking up toys, drying eyes, wiping noses, swatting, scolding, trying to
sing, listen, and pray, the toddler is pouring juice on her dress. To the
toddler, church is an exciting adventure. Songbooks are a challenge to
take, stuffed toys make great missiles to launch over four or five rows, and
the collection plate would make a great hat. Young parents take heart! Let
me assure you of this:

1. Your children do not disturb others nearly as much as you think they do.

2. If people without children are determined to sit at the back of the
church, then they deserve any distraction they get.

3. Most people really do understand your plight and remember back to the
days when their children were infants and toddlers.

4. Remember that you are both wanted and needed in the worship service.

5. Have faith that the hand, which now hurls crayons, will one day spread
the seeds of the Kingdom.

-- Author Unknown

<><     <><     <><     <><     <><     <><     <><     <><     <><
THIS MESSAGE WAS SENT VIA YAHOO GROUPS

To learn more about E-Mail Ministry and read previous messages, visit our
web site at: http://www.emailministry.org

HOW DO I SUBSCRIBE? Send a blank e-mail to:
emailministry-subscribe@googlegroups.com
or go to: http://www.emailministry.org/subscribe.asp
Messages are sent out on Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays. Subscribe now, it's
FREE!

SUPPORT E-MAIL MINISTRY:
E-Mail Ministry is solely supported by its subscribers. To make a financial
contribution, go to: http://www.emailministry.org/donate.asp
E-Mail Ministry is a U.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

HOW DO I SUBMIT A MESSAGE FOR E-MAIL MINISTRY? Send it to
emailministry@emailministry.org

HOW DO I UNSUBSCRIBE? If you are a subscriber, send a blank e-mail to
EMailMinistry-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
or go to: http://www.emailministry.org/unsubscribe.asp
If this message was forwarded to you from another person, please notify them
that you are not interested in receiving any further messages.

To CHANGE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS: UNSUBSCRIBE from the old e-mail address and
SUBSCRIBE from the new e-mail address or go to:
http://www.emailministry.org/updateEmail.asp

LEGAL STUFF: E-Mail Ministry and its sponsor run this message as submitted
and do not claim to own any copyright privileges on it. The work was
submitted to us as an item for distribution, and it was posted solely on the
basis of its quality. It is the belief of E-Mail Ministry and its sponsors
that this message is in the common domain.

"E-Mail Ministry" is a trademark of E-Mail Ministry, Inc.

-- The Staff of E-Mail Ministry
   emailministry@emailministry.org
   http://www.emailministry.org