No Grandchildren Allowed

Pictured above is Max, the newest member of King of Peace's extended family. He was a whopping 8 lbs. 12 oz. when born Monday evening. The son of Mickie and Angie Goodwin, who attend when they are in town, Max is the grandson of Neil and June Maxwell and niece of Meredith Maxwell and so he is firmly a part of our church family.

Pictured at right, I am holding Jim and Janis Hudson's granddaughter, Emma Grace. When she came to the Thanksgiving Day meal with her Mom, Amanda, two-day old Emma Grace, who was born at 34 weeks, was just at five pounds. As a congregation with a healthy number of young couples, most of the babies born into our church family are children of parishioners (like Tyler and Kaitlin to name but two recent additions to the family). But these two newest babies are grandchildren, thus joining Colby and Gray whose grandparents as well as parents come to King of Peace.

But Max and Emma Grace will need to learn that there are no grandchildren allowed in church. This isn't being mean. It is because God does not have any grandchildren. Each of these babies is a child of God. We have been entrusted with them and the other children in our congregational family as a gift. And if we assist their grandparents (and to the degree we can their parents) in raising them to know and love God, Max and Emma Grace and the other kids in our family will come to understand themselves as the children of God they already are.

In the archives are the religion column Teaching children the language of faith and the sermon As a Little Child.

peace,
Frank+
The Rev. Frank Logue, Pastor + King of Peace Episcopal Church