How old should children be before they are allowed to go to church? One woman wrote to world-renowned evangelist Billy Graham telling him that her own parents never took her to church until she was almost a teenager because they didn't think children could understand anything about God.
However, her own five-year-old daughter is already asking questions about God, and she is wondering if the child would be mature enough to go to church.
For Graham, it is acceptable to bring a child of any age to church.
"Just because a child can't understand everything about God, doesn't mean he or she can't understand something. Remember: Jesus welcomed children and invited them to come to Him. He said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these' (Mark 10:14)," Graham wrote in his column for the Bowling Green Daily News.
Graham said even a small child understands what love is, and God is the best example of love. A small child also understands what it means to trust others, and he said there's no one more worthy of trust than God.
"In addition, small children know their parents love to hear them try to talk – and who loves to hear us talk to Him more than God? No wonder the Bible says that God is our Heavenly Father," he said.
Graham said parents should be grateful that a child is curious about God, and parents have a responsibility to answer children's questions simply but truthfully.
"Often we want deep and profound answers to our questions – but children simply want to know that God is greater than we are, and even if we can't see Him, He made us and He loves us," he reminded. "He proved His love for us by sending Jesus into the world so we could go to Heaven when we die."
Parents should also make church an important part of family life. With parents setting a good example, Graham said children will live out the rest of their days being committed to Christ.
