Throughout the Bible the model for corporate worship is one that includes all generations of life. Parents, children, youth, singles, and seniors all unite in corporate worship of the Lord.
Several passages of Scripture indicate the biblical model for corporate worship is one of age integration and for families to be together. Noah led his family in worship in a culture that rejected the gospel (Genesis 6-9; 2 Peter 2:5). Abraham led his family in worship (Genesis 22). Job also led his family in worship (Job 1:5). The Israelites worshipped together as families (Ezra 10:1; Nehemiah 12:43).
Families worshipped together in the New Testament church as well. Both Ephesians 6:1 and Colossians 3:20 address children, who were present in the worship service, to obey their parents in the Lord. There is no text of Scripture which describes or prescribes age segregated corporate worship. When families are together for corporate worship they have a common spiritual vision to walk in, grow in, and be held accountable to. All members of the household can discuss the worship time together and benefit from each other’s experience in a way that is difficult if each family member has been to their own age-graded worship service. Heads of households can then continue the study and application of the text that was preached throughout the week within their family, enabling the family to better learn and apply what they learned in the corporate worship experience together.
