Many families look forward to attending their local worship center each Sunday for an in-person church service. Unfortunately, there are a number of reasons why your family may not be able to attend your regular worship place for service, such as a global pandemic that necessitates avoiding crowds, one or more family members falling ill, or the family being out of town during the service. Luckily, technology has made it easier than ever to connect with your worship center and church family through livestreams. While livestreams can be very convenient, many parents find it difficult to get their children to connect. Use the following tips to help ensure that your children engage in online services when you can't attend a church service in person.

Set a Good Example

Young children are like little sponges, and they absorb what they see and hear around them. If you want your children to listen to the sermons being presented by your worship center online, you will need to set a good example and model the behavior that you expect. While your family is attending a service at your worship center virtually, make sure that you pay close attention to the service--avoid multi-tasking while the livestream is on, don't look at your phone, and avoid having a conversation with your partner. 

Make the Activity Kid-Friendly

During in-person church services, many kids attend Sunday school classes that are designed for children. Thus, when it is not possible to attend in-person service and your family has to watch your worship center's livestream, the content presented to adults may not make as much as a connection with your kids. Some kids are too young or immature to sit completely still and watch a livestreamed church service. A good way to help your child pay attention to the meaning of the sermon is to incorporate kid-friendly activities. For example, you can take out crayons and ask your kids to draw a picture based on what is being discussed during the service.

Explain Why Church Is Important

Sometimes kids don't understand why paying attention to an online church service is important. As a parent, take the time to tell your kids why the service is important and how your family's worship center helps you. It can also be helpful to explain that your worship center is a loving community made up of people who care about your family. 

For more advice, contact a worship center.