How Bad Is Your Children’s Ministry?

August 11, 2009 by

For a church in Utah it was apparently bad enough to prompt a 7-year-old to steal the family car and drive himself home. The boy told his father he didn’t want to go to church. There’s even YouTube video of the police chase.

As goofy as this story is (and dangerous–the boy ran a stop sign and nearly hit another motorist), it does prompt an obvious question for folks like us: Is your church a place kids (or anybody) would love to be? Or is your church so bad visitors would engage in a little grand theft auto to escape? (via Tony Morgan)

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Kevin D. Hendricks


When Kevin isn't busy as the editor of Church Marketing Sucks, he runs his own writing and editing company, Monkey Outta Nowhere. Kevin has been blogging since 1998, runs the hyperlocal site West St. Paul Reader, and has published several books, including 137 Books in One Year: How to Fall in Love With Reading, The Stephanies and all of our church communication books.
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4 Responses to “How Bad Is Your Children’s Ministry?”

  • Carl
    August 11, 2009

    I hate to encourage the kid… but that’s pretty good driving for a 7 year old!


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  • Geoff in CT
    August 11, 2009

    The story reminds me (but only a little) of the time when I took my then-five year old daughter to Sunday School at a church that was new to both of us. I asked her, on the way home, how she liked Sunday School. She said “Daddy, they pretended that I wasn’t there.”
    We didn’t go back.


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  • Dan Smith
    August 11, 2009

    All joking aside (and there is a lot of joking to be had), this is not about the church being boring or what have you. This is about a child who needs discipline.
    The church is not here to entertain you. If my son were to try this he just delays his license by seven years.


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  • Jonathan
    September 2, 2009

    @Dan,
    I’m guessing your church is exactly what this blog is targeting. The fact that you would rather deflect the conversation to an incident than discuss how to create a welcoming environment speaks volumes. Or it means you’re baptist.


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