WHEN THE CHURCH BECAME A FREE DAYCARE CENTER

Decades ago, churches—trying to bring more people in—came up with what they called the “church bus/van ministry.”

The idea sounded great: make it easier for people who couldn’t get to church on their own. Maybe there were older folks who wanted to attend worship even though their families didn’t go. Maybe transportation was a struggle. The church van was the perfect “vehicle” (yes, pun absolutely intended) to help.

Let’s take a fictional example: Mrs. Kate Harris. Her husband is unsaved and refuses to take her to church. She’s in decent health but no longer allowed to drive. For someone like her, the van ministry is a blessing. It gets her to the service she desperately longs to attend.

But then word spreads. Suddenly, parents who have no desire to set foot inside a church are shoving their kids out the door on Sunday mornings so the church van can pick them up. I mean, what parent wouldn’t love four peaceful hours with the kids gone and someone else supervising them? The church down the road offers free pickup and free childcare until noon? Say no more. Mom and Dad are thrilled.

And what happens to poor Mrs. Harris?

Well, sitting in a van full of loud, unruly kids becomes too much. Before long, she stops riding. And she’s not alone—other elderly riders drop out too.

So now the church has a whole different problem: a sanctuary full of rambunctious kids who have never been taught how to behave in church.

The congregants start complaining. The kids are distracting. The pastor and deacons start feeling the heat. So, what’s the solution?

Children’s Church.

The church begs for volunteers, and eventually three or four reluctant souls step forward. They’d rather be in worship with the rest of the congregation, but they take one for the team because it feels like an urgent need.

Now, I get it. Churches genuinely want to bring new people in. But the van ministry went at it backwards. The first goal of ministry should be the parents. They are supposed to be the spiritual leaders of their homes. If you reach the parents, the kids naturally follow. But if you try to reach the parents through the kids, you’re already starting off shaky.

I’m not saying no parent ever came to Christ because of a kids-only van ministry. It’s happened. Just… not nearly as often as churches hoped.

So now you have a Children’s Church where kids are used to playing games, doing crafts, eating snacks, and being entertained. Then they hop back on the van and go home.

But what happens when these kids hit youth group age?

They’ll show up on Wednesday nights. Why? Because Wednesday nights mean pizza, hot dogs, hanging out with friends, and maybe a short, laid-back Bible study. After that, it’s basketball, games, or just chilling. Then they go home.

But where are they on Sundays?

Not at church.

Why?

Because now they’re expected to sit in “big church” where the hymns are “boring,” the sermon is 30–45 minutes long, Communion seems weird, and nothing feels entertaining. After years of games, snacks, and crafts, suddenly being asked to sit still and worship feels like punishment.

What started as a well-intentioned ministry to help people attend church ended up morphing into a sort of daycare—one that accidentally removed kids from the most important part of church life: worship.

At my church, we have a nursery, but kids age out around 4 or 5, and then they go right into the sanctuary with their parents. When I first started attending, I was amazed at how well the young ones behaved. Sure, every now and then one might get a little wiggly, but overall, these four- and five-year-olds actually sat through an entire service. It was honestly refreshing.

Our church gives the kids coloring sheets related to the sermon—maybe a picture of King David or Baby Jesus—but they’re still in worship, hearing Scripture read, listening to the songs, watching their parents and other adults engage in the service.

So, should churches ditch their van ministries?

Not necessarily.

But I do think they need to rethink how they operate. Maybe require at least one parent to accompany their children. No church should be forced into functioning as a daycare.

And even if they continue picking up kids without parents, there’s still one very effective change they can make:

Get rid of Children’s Church.

Let the kids sit in the sanctuary.

Designate a specific section for the van kids. Assign a few adults—ideally married couples—to sit with them, help keep them mostly quiet, explain what’s happening in the service, and teach them the basics of worship. Walk with them through communion. Let them see what reverence looks like.

“But if they have to sit in the sanctuary, they’ll stop coming!”

Well… they stop coming anyway once they reach youth group age. Why?
Because they were never there for worship in the first place. They were there to be entertained.

If you’re wondering why so many young people leave church, here's a big part of it: they were never taught to love worship. They were taught to love free food and fun activities.

If kids aren’t introduced to worship early on, they won’t stick around when the entertainment stops. They’re not invested in the church. They’re invested in the fun.

And fun doesn’t make disciples.