were children in NT church meetings, or were they shunted off some place else?
Cp Mt 19:13-15, Lk 2:41-50, Ac 21:5. When Jesus was twelve years old, he spent time with the elders, not a youth group! 17. Read the chapters entitled “Interactive Meetings”, “Preaching & Teaching” & “Children In Church” in Ekklesia: To The Roots of Biblical Church Life. What truths did you discover there that are not dealt with above that you want to share with the class? OPTIONAL FURTHER READING: The Open Church, by Jim Rutz (Sargent, GA: SeedSowers, 1992). PRACTICAL PROBLEMS TO EXPECT: 1. Pew Potatoes: Folks are conditioned to sit silently, as if watching TV. It takes time and prompting to over come this! It will seem awkward to people at first. If no one brought any food to contribute to a potluck dinner, it would not be much of a meal. So too if no one comes prepared to contribute to a 1Co 14 meeting, it will not be much of a meeting! 2. Unedifying Remarks: Sometimes folks start talking and get too casual. Chitchat abounds. Just because it is an “open” meeting does not mean people
