"Perfection of churchgoers" (week of 1-25-09)

I have been going to this one church for about two years now. It's not quite what I am used to; it seems to be oriented to attract younger people. Their band plays very loud christian music, which we sing along with, the preacher preaches, we eat the bread drink the juice, pray, donate, and sing again before we go. I usually like and agree with what the preacher is talking about.

My boys, 6, 3, and 10 months, all go to their own classrooms. They get to learn their bible stories, sing songs, and play with friends in their own age groups. My 3 year old only started walking when he was 1 because I had his switched to the steady steppers class. I guess being around kids his age that were running around him, gave him the motivation he needed. The 6 year old is often reluctant to participate with others, but when we leave, he is still singing new songs that he has learned.

My problem I guess, is not with the church, or specifically the people who go there, but I have had a problem for several months now. My baby being 10 months now, is just now showing up with my other 2 boys when I check them in. How the check-in system is supposed to work is this: I give the lady my phone number, she types it into the computer, the computer brings up the names of my children, she prints out stickers with their names and an alphanumeric number. I put the name tags on their backs and keep the last sticker with their matching number. To pick my boys up after service, my numbers have to match theirs. I also watch for their numbers to show up on the screen in the Main Chapel, it means there is some kind of problem, and I need to take them out of class. So...after I sighned up the baby for daycare, I gave my same name and phone number as my other boys. When I gave my number all these months, the lady could only find the baby, or the other two boys. Week after week we would ask them to fix it, and they agreed it was an easy fix. The last time I went in, after months of this problem, the lady behind the counter told me she could not put all my boys on one screen. Why not??? She told me it was a legal matter, because I am not married! Bradley belongs to my boyfriend, who also attends every Sunday was her next point. So very calmly, I told her that only the baby was biologically his, and all 3 are biologically mine. So there shouldn't be a problem putting all the boys on one screen under my number right? Well her response again was you two aren't married, and if something should happen to you... And she added that this was not the time to discuss it. There was absolutely no sense in her arguments. So if I went to church on my own with my boys, would I need him to come and sign a waiver for me? And I have no idea where she was getting a legal matter out of the whole thing. I am sure I am not the only person with 3 kids with 2 different dads.


Billy called someone he knew there and got it all straitened out. Hopefully she won't be checking people in anymore. I should be able to check my boys in with no further problems now. Going to church does not make you perfect! And I am pretty sure it is for the people who realize they are imperfect.