Questions about church

Not for the first time questions about church are in my focus. Here are some I am answering.

Why would we want to include children in our worship services, when age-appropriate groups are better for them and for us?
Why do our children need to be present in worship services for them to be included?
Why would we want to include children in our worship services, when our children find them boring?
Why should the life and mission of the church be shaped by our children?
Why is whole church worship necessary or important?
What is church?
Why do we gather together for worship services?
What scares us about including children in our worship services?
Are we afraid worship services will become out of control and unpredictable?
Are we afraid that adults will be uncomfortable in a worship service where children are included as equal participants?
Are we afraid adults will leave our church if we include children in our worship services?
Are we concerned that the sermon will become a less important part of the worship service?
What happens to church when we dare to assume that children have the same claim on worship space, ritual, style, content of worship as the adults?
How can including children in our worship services be seen as prophetic?
Why do we provide children's work and youth work? Who's benefit is it for?
What comes first a theology of church or a theology of mission?
Is our church shaped by consumer concerns?
Does the way we do church reflect that we are overly concerned with control, order, structure, uniformity and cleanliness?
Does the way we do church enable us to grow in our discipleship? What does growing in discipleship mean?
What does it mean to be a child in our church? Do we recognise them as members of the church community?
What are our expectations of our children? Are children disciples?
What groups in our church are 'not seen and not heard'?
What does it mean to be family in our church?
What does it mean to say we are community?
Is language of 'active participation' in worship services idealistic? Why?