I agree if you think springing forward is hard. This morning, I witnessed the sun coming up one hour later. Everything was dark until 8:00 AM. This shouldn’t happen on a Sunday! It’s hard enough for children’s ministry workers to make it out the door on a regular day, let alone one that has had an hour stolen from it. Daylight Savings Time and children’s ministry do not mix well.
For the first forty years of my life, I didn’t have to experience Daylight Saving Time. Indiana held its ground until she wanted to be miserable like the other forty-six states. Never mind that Arizona and Hawaii were holdouts as well. We desired to be like The Big Apple and The Windy City.
Daylight Savings Time and Children’s Ministry
This morning, my wife and I will make our way to church. It will still be dark. We will wonder if the workers have set their clocks forward and if the kids will be able to see straight as they stumble into the classroom.
In 2006, I witnessed the horror of children’s ministry and Daylight Saving Time for the first time. While I recovered that day, I felt even more sorry for the parents of young children that couldn’t convince their rascals to go to bed at their regular time, because kids everywhere said, “But it’s still daylight outside!” Argh! Since we saved all that daylight, Hoosier parents now realized the new savings spilled into the evening where kids still wanted to play and pets cocked their heads as they couldn’t understand why their owners were walking them an hour later.
So to the haggard, long-suffering children’s ministry worker on this delayed Sunday morning, I salute you! I still contend Daylight Savings Time and children’s ministry do not mix. Now excuse me while I go get an extra cup of coffee.
Editor’s Note: I originally published this blog on October 6, 2015. I revamped and updated it for timeliness and comprehensiveness.
