Security & Kids

So, we visited a new church yesterday...and of course, I get to drop off the young ones while the other parental unit finds an acceptable seating location (we won't go into how crazy that can be).

I get help locating the children's ministry location and begin the process of checking in the youngest 2...6 and 2.

So the lady asks their names and ages/school grade, to which she gets the appropriate information: K - 2 and M - 1st grade. She jots this down on 2 little pieces of paper and then stuns me for a moment with her next instruction: Please provide a picture ID. What...picture ID? I'm not buying booze or smokes here...I'm dropping off my young ones, so they can partake in age appropriate worship/Bible learning. Alas, I hand over my driver's license and receive a pager in return.

I'm figuring that's the end of it and head to drop them off at the appropriate rooms, when I'm directed to another station. Here a lady gets K's name again and my pager number, which are then written on one of those club/hospital bands...you know, the Tyvec ones that can only be removed via tin snips, chainsaw, etc. She attaches said band to K's wrist and then directs me down to their rooms. Maybe the teacher's might need some help with ID on visitors.

I proceed to drop the young ones off and head into service myself. Of course, having a sanctuary with cafe-style seating is causing the wife to stress a bit...she's more traditional than I am that way...needs her pews and the like.

Service was pretty good...with a line I'm sure made more than one person twitch in the throes of "He can't be talking to me..." as it was fairly blunt. Still, all in all, good service...didn't much care for the worship music though...but that is one I'm fairly loose on as long is it is headed the right direction, I can stand quite a bit.

So, service is over and I'm headed to reclaim my stored property...er, children. Anyway, I proceed to head toward the locations of temporary storage, when I'm politely but firmly asked to show my pager. I comply and proceed to pickup M...uneventfully. I head back to collect K, when the teacher asks to see my pager again...now wait a minute, I just showed it to that guy and by the way she tossed the toys aside and came running shrieking "Daddy", it's fairly obvious that she belongs with me. I calmly produce the pager again and after checking it against K's wristband, the teacher cuts the band off and reunites me with my second young one. I then head toward the apparent final turn-in point for the pager, with K and M in tow. I drop off the pager and am given my license and 2 pieces of paper. I'm then told to go to the last lady by the door. She checks the papers to ensure I have the appropriate number of children.

While it may seem excessive, I appreciate the nod toward securing my young ones, after all, I've seen the opposite when it comes to accountability as well. It still smacked of getting prisoners transferred...what with the whole paperwork/documentation requirements.