Happy Memories

[DanielRB]

I don't know if this is the right place to post this, but if you were raised in the Church, what are some happy memories you have of your childhood in it?

For me, I loved the flannelgraphs...I even had a small flannelgraph set at home and played with it a lot.

Also, "Archbooks"...little books with Bible stories, often humerous.

And of course, "Openning Exercises" on Sunday morning, when the children and adults got together and sang a few songs and sang "Happy Birthday" to whoever had a birthday. If you did have a birthday, you'd go forward and drop a penny for every year you were born into the offering plate. Sometimes adults would drop in paper money, though we quickly learned that it didn't necessarily mean that they were over a hundred (even if we thought they looked like they were. ;) )

Remember singing "Climb, Climb up Sonshine Mountain"? Complete with hand movements?

Anyway...more happy thoughts?

[BInC]

We had the birthday thing too, only we had a little church to drop the pennies in. Also, we got a sticker by our name on a chart every day we came to sunday school. We even got to pick out our sticker ;). My favorite song was "Rise and Shine."

[Akuma]

My church had a small cross and cave to represent Jesus' cross and tomb. I was so little I thought they were the actual things! I was humbled and honored at the thought of Jesus' cross at our church. Ain't it great to be a kid?

[daveleau]

I was brought up in a small town Pentecostal church that had a very old congregation. My church did little to nothing for the kids and preached fire and brimstone all the time. So, I don't have a whole lot of good memories of my old church. I think this led to my acting more worldly than Christian while I was in college. The foundation was not laid in the best possible way. (I am not using this as an excuse for my actions. I was wrong and have turned from those ways.)


I guess the point is that it is important to ensure that your kids have good memories like the above. Later I began attending a non-denom church and was much better served and blessed. I learned a lot more there.

This is not meant to be a slight on the Pentecostal denom. It is meant as a slight against that one specific church in regards to dealing with kids.

[servant4ever]

I don't have that many happy memories of church while I was a child. I was the "devil kid" in my church. I always got kicked out of Children's Church and Sunday School; one time I was sent to the pastor's office and I had to sit in there with this old guy staring at me like I was the "anti-christ" while my parents were in church. Then at the end of the church service the pastor announced in front of everybody that I was in trouble during Children's Church and I was in the Pastor's office, let's just say it wasn't a happy ride home from church that week. :) I guess they are funny memories now. :)

servant4ever

[servant4ever]

ok....

Daniel, sorry for dying this thread down... I'm sure there are some people that have happy childhood memories of church...

servant4ever

[Father Rick]

I have so many memories it is hard to know where to start-- youth camps, vacation Bible schools, sunday schools, etc. (Oh, did I mention I was the pastor's kid?) I guess being in church so much made the 'goof-ups' funnier than anything else.

One of my favorite memories is when I was about 6 and pulled a tooth in the middle of church. I was bored during the message, so I was playing with a loose tooth. Well when it came out, I started bleeding all over the place (even though it didn't hurt). Right in the middle of the sermon, my mom had to take me out (from the 2nd row) with blood pouring all over the church's brand new carpet. That livened up service a little!!!

When I was about 14 or so, we were in church listening to the sermon when one of the men had to take his 3 year old daughter out to discipline her because she was misbehaving. As he was walking down the aisle, she yelled out, "Ya'll pray for me!!"

But the all time favorite was from chapel at the seminary I attended. J. Bashford Bishop, an elderly former professor was back preaching. He was telling the story of Jesus in Gethsemane, and how Judas led the soldiers to arrest Jesus. Dr. Bishop was really getting into the story, being very dramatic as to how the soldier came and tried to grab Jesus, when he said, "And ear pulled out a sword and cut his Peter off!" The whole chapel gasped and sat up straight. Dr. Bishop thought he had made a good point so he repeated himself, "That's right! Ear pulled out his sword and cut his Peter off!" When he said it the 2nd time, he heard himself. He turned bright red, closed his Bible, and just went and sat down. The whole place exploded in laughter. Needless to say, chapel was dismissed early that day!

[DanielRB]

But the all time favorite was from chapel at the seminary I attended. J. Bashford Bishop, an elderly former professor was back preaching. He was telling the story of Jesus in Gethsemane, and how Judas led the soldiers to arrest Jesus. Dr. Bishop was really getting into the story, being very dramatic as to how the soldier came and tried to grab Jesus, when he said, "And ear pulled out a sword and cut his Peter off!" The whole chapel gasped and sat up straight. Dr. Bishop thought he had made a good point so he repeated himself, "That's right! Ear pulled out his sword and cut his Peter off!" When he said it the 2nd time, he heard himself. He turned bright red, closed his Bible, and just went and sat down. The whole place exploded in laughter. Needless to say, chapel was dismissed early that day!
LOL!!!! That was too funny!!!!

In Christ,

Daniel

[Rich48]

I can remember (oh, so long ago!) singing a song in Sunday School called "Little Robin Redbreast." Have not seen that one around for a very long time.

Rich

[Freelander]

But the all time favorite was from chapel at the seminary I attended. J. Bashford Bishop, an elderly former professor was back preaching. He was telling the story of Jesus in Gethsemane, and how Judas led the soldiers to arrest Jesus. Dr. Bishop was really getting into the story, being very dramatic as to how the soldier came and tried to grab Jesus, when he said, "And ear pulled out a sword and cut his Peter off!" The whole chapel gasped and sat up straight. Dr. Bishop thought he had made a good point so he repeated himself, "That's right! Ear pulled out his sword and cut his Peter off!" When he said it the 2nd time, he heard himself. He turned bright red, closed his Bible, and just went and sat down. The whole place exploded in laughter. Needless to say, chapel was dismissed early that day!LOL! That is hilarious!

One comical memory I have is, one day our preaching was preaching (imagine that) and somehow got onto how the meaning of the word "gay" has 2 different meanings...and it's original meaning, of course, was "happy." Then after explaining after gay means happy too, he said "that's right, I WANT to be gay!" We all knew that he meant happy...and the church tried to contain itself...but one woman started laughing and that got the whole church laughing. Ohh me, it was funny. Guess you would have had to be there.

[DanielRB]

A little off-topic...but I just got in the mail a flannelgraph set to use at home with my son. I think I'm more excited than he is! (Well...he's only five months old, so I guess it will be a little while before he appreciates it.)

In Christ,

Daniel