Children & safety
There are usually a lot of kids in our gatherings. Here is how that works, and the guidelines every house in our network agrees to keep.
Kids are part of the gathering, not parked outside it.
We normally have a large number of kids in our gatherings. This can vary, depending on the people who gather in a given house.
We view discipleship and training in the ways of the Lord as the parents’ and caregivers’ responsibility (Eph 6:4). As a community we support each other in this task — we don’t take it over.
While we occasionally do something child-focused on our Sunday morning gatherings, the main purpose is to gather as the family of Christ, worship together, encourage one another, hear from the Lord, and for the adults and older kids to engage deeply with the Word together for mutual discipleship.
In practice that means kids are in the room for the first part of the morning, and playing nearby during the study; older kids are welcome to stay and join in if they want to.
Seven guidelines, kept in every house
Those who decide to be part of this network agree to these guidelines in their house church meetings. They are not optional, and they are not left to individual judgement on the day.
- There is always a minimum of two adults — one of each sex — looking after children, unless they are with their parent or guardian.
- No child is ever left alone with an adult, or with another older child, without their parent or guardian present.
- If children play in bedrooms during house church gatherings, the doors must be left open at all times.
- No child is to be toileted — this includes changing nappies and clothes — except by a parent or guardian.
- No child is ever to be removed from the premises without the consent of a parent or guardian.
- In the event that one of the above guidelines is not adhered to, every adult is responsible for ensuring that every child is returned to their parent or guardian.
- Beyond these, every house decides any further principles on how they manage children in their gatherings — playing outside, use of household toys, the trampoline, and so on.
Often in our gatherings we do the Bible study part in an open lounge where kids come and go, so there is parental presence and everyone can keep an eye on things. If the Bible study is held in a closed lounge, the minimum two rule must be held to.