I love coffee, as many of you probably know, and so I am often found drifting into coffee shops for my occasional caffeine fix.  There is one coffee shop near my house that Glenda and I sometimes go to with Ethan and Taia on our walks to the park or the supermarket.  It amazes me how often I see parents in there with their children just trying to get their coffee only to find that getting your stroller through that shop is like trying to put on a pair of jeans you wore when you were in high school.  Could these coffee shops be any smaller?  The odd time Ethan gets a little excited and gets in the way of the hip yuppie trying to put some cane sugar in his half-caff, espresso macchiato or perhaps he gets a cold stare from an independent older lady for interrupting her quiet time with her O (Oprah) magazine.  All in all, it can be a pretty trying experience just wanting to get some decent coffee while out for a stroll with your kids.  The other day a friend of mine showed me a new coffee shop down on Commercial Drive where their church community occasionally meets.  It is a family friendly coffee shop with wide isles, big tables and a toy/play area.  How cool is that?

Overall, I have to say, trying to start a new church where basically half our congregation is children under the age of four has been challenging to say the least.  I think even the whole issue of raising children in general in our culture is one that many people often struggle with.  Although our city has made some great strides in trying to make itself more kid and family friendly, there continues to be at times a quiet undertone out there that crying, screaming children just aren’t that welcome in certain circles.  How are things different in our churches?  How do we really view children?  Are they really a blessing or are we often times tempted to see them more as a pain, getting in the way of what we would rather be doing?

“But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Luke 18:16)

“Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all–he is the greatest.” (Luke 9:48)

Pray that we would truly see children as Jesus sees them, as a treasure from the Lord and as a taste of His Kingdom.