Do you seperate Bus kids from others?

Our 'bus' kids go to 'Junior Church' right along with our 'churched' kids.

If they are under 12, they are not in the sanctuary, but they have the same kind of service we do with the Associate Pastor preaching to them.

When my husband and I had a bus route, it was a 40 mile trip before church and another after church. Plus the same trip every Saturday to see who was coming that week and visit (and witness) to the families, plus going door to door to find more kids.

IMHO, to segregate them would make them feel inferior and most of them feel that way at home.

The love and friendship they get at church (and on the bus) is sometimes the only love and friendship they get all week.

My whole family (including me) was saved 35 years ago because of the bus ministry. We have many similar stories in our church family.

Our Assistant Pastor's wife was once a 'bus' kid. She and her sisters/brother lived about 20 miles out in the country and their mother worked and could not bring them to church (no father in the home). We extended our bus route to pick them up. All of the sisters are still in church and married to Godly men. The brother is a preacher.

Is a bus ministry worth putting up with the aggravation and extra time away from home?

You betcha!!!

 

We don't have a bus ministry in our area but you've given me something to think about.

Maybe we should be separating the kids that come in beatup old cars from those that come in the shiny new upscale SUV's.

Rob

 

Why limit this to 'kids'? Shouldn't we also do the same for the adults?? When my bride and/or I drive our fairly nice vehicle (that we, especially me, deem necessary because she travels several miles each week, in her job), shouldn't that rate one level, and when I drive my old beat up and well scratched and dented, two-toned (rust and primer), farm pick-up truck when she is away, to services, shouldn't that rate a different level?

Makes the same amount of sense. What is the real difference in that, and the apparel spoken of in James, as regards respect to persons?
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"Oh, wait!! I Know, I know! I know! Call on me, teacher!! Please!!

It's 'cause the one with the gold rings and wearing fine apparel didn't ride the bus 'to church'!"

:tear:

Ed

 

Well, why limit it cars? I wear my teacher clothes to church. That should automatically relegate me to the mid-back I'd think. We've got some gals that wear some pretty fancy suits. They can sit down front to be picked up on the cameras.

 

Its getting a little catty in here.

 

catty? I don't care about cars or clothes which is why I wear my school clothes to church. *sigh* I was just trying to make a point which was obviously poorly taken.

I'll crawl back into my hole.

 

I just think it unfair to assume that because a church doesn't mix bus kids in with the regular services that they are embarrased by or in some way look down on those kids.

 

OK. I think there are some legitimate reasons to separate them -- mainly because they might need some more training. I already said that I think the way your church does it has some validity. But I think that many churches do separate them for reasons that may not be sound. I think many churches do many things for reasons that may not be sound. I just wish communication were better and more sincere.

I also think there are some legitimate reasons to keep kids together. I still wear the same clothes every day regardless of whether I'm going to work or church (of course they are the same place) and I do sit in the front so the camera gonn get me (when I get in from my duty in the m.c.)

 

I have been known to stop at Wednesday evening prayer services, more than opnce, as I passed my church on the way between another farm that we own, and the farm where I live, in my dirty work clothes, and 'smelling', and driving a tractor and machine. (I would offer that I no doubt smelled about as bad as any 'bus kid' ever could, from any background, and I sat far away from anyone I might offend or make queasy with the BO, BTW.) Should I have gone home to 'clean up' and missed the services, entirely?

I said nothing about anyone being embarrassed, but it would not be a bad idea for some "who think themselves to be something", to be so embarrassed, IMO.

So give me a really good reason to 'segregate' anyone at a church service. I thought segregation went out in the US in the 60s. Apparently, I was wrong, on that. (And I heard all the arguments for and against segregation, then, BTW.) It didn't "sink in" then for segregation; and it does even less now, especially at 'church'!

If that sounds "Tomcatty", so be it. It is not meant to be personal, in any way.

Ed

 

All I know is that most of the children we pick up on the bus would not come if we made them sit through the regular services that we subject our own children to. We give them a fun time to get together and hear some bible teaching and sing, eat snacks and get little prizes. Sunday morning, they would get to listen to my pastor preach for an hour on some verse in Proverbs. We don't have junior church or anything like that for them to go to.

 

Sorry to show my ignorance, but what is a "bus kid"? Is it simply a child who is brought to church/Sunday School/Bible Club on a bus? If so, I certainly see no reason at all for treating them any differently to the other children who attend the church/Sunday School/Bible Club.

 

As someone saved through the bus ministry (Merrimon Ave. Baptist Church in Asheville, NC, which unfortunately discontinued it in 1979), it was worth it.

 

First Baptist Daytona Beach changed to a Saturday program in 1997, and attendance plunged. Many bus workers were very upset. Unfortunately, Bobby Welch's former church discontinued the bus ministry last year. I served in the bus ministry there from 1988 to 1993 when I had to move, and my greatest disappointment in life is that I never got the opportunity to serve in another bus ministry.

 

Your pastor preaches for an hour?? How long is your average service?? An hour and a half to two hours?? My body wouldn't like sitting still that long, either. But I assume you're are 'joking' about a usual 'sermon' being an hour on one verse in Proverbs. At least I hope you are. There are 66 books in "the whole counsel of God." I hope the other 65 get some attention, as well.

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with multiple and/or separate services. Let's just hope that the motives are right, and not tied to some perceived idea that bus-kids somehow 'interrupt' a 'real' worship service, or that they make other attendees uncomfortable, as was the implication by one poster. Jesus never said, "I will leave you comfortable." He said, "I will not leave you comfortless." Let's not confute the two, is my point.

And have any considered that maybe the worship service, itself, could stand a bit of 'tweaking' and perhaps make it a bit shorter, so some, like me, might not get so 'antsy'? And lots of churches now have some snacks, and something to drink, if someone wants them, and a children's message during the regular service. I do seem to recall Jesus feeding a group when he preached a couple of times, and preaching to children, as well. Just wonderin' on all of this.

Ed

 

Sometimes, yes. But generally speaking, this thread is discussing kids who come from bad homes where respect and decency are as foreign as Chinese and symbolic logic. Not only do they present unique challenges to the teaching task and classroom discipline, but their culture of vulgarity and violence can make the situation unfit for attendance by children who are being reared differently.

 

Some of the "children who are being reared differently" can act every bit as bad as the 'bus' kids and DO.

In fact, several years ago, one of our "children who are being reared differently" was in church 3x a week and attended our Christian school.

He was being raised by his Godly grandparents. He got mad one day and loaded a gun and shot them both to death.

Just because a kid is a 'bus' kid does not mean that he is 'bad'.

Just because a kid is being raised right does not mean that he is 'good'...

 

Excellent post. Thank you Sue

 

OH Sue! How heart breaking!

I do think James raised some good points for bringing them in at a different time -- more space -- more attention, they know less, so they need more training, etc.

At some point, though, we do want to merge them into church going society because we want them to be part of the church -- that's the ultimate goal, isn't it?

 

I agree. I think the main question here should be: is church for the saved or lost?
I do not believe the lost belong in church.
How can a lost man worship God?

That said, the saturday evangelistic program is probably a great idea.
It is not "church" it isn't a worship service, it is an evangelistic service or program.
If a child gets saved then sure...bring them to Church.

 

Excuse me? Most of the people I know got saved in church!

How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Romans 10:14