If you were always expected to volunteer to pray when the teacher asked in Sunday School, then you very likely grew up as a Pastor’s kid. I know this feeling, I grew up as a Pastor’s kid. My 3 kids grew up as Pastor’s kids. Several of my grandkids are growing up as Pastor’s kids. There is a lot of unique things about being a Pastor’s kid, some of it is fun and some of it can be frustrating.

If you knew the shortcuts, or secret passages, around your church building you probably grew up as a Pastor’s kid.

You likely grew up as a Pastor’s kid if you know what it feels like to stand in front of the whole congregation while your parents open a Christmas card with money in it and all you want to know is “What is my cut?”

Pastor’s kids know what it is like to have the whole congregation turn and look at you when your preaching parent says “The other day one of my kids did …”

If you knew what it was like to go to people’s home for dinner who had no kids your age, just because your parent was the pastor, and have to sit at the table for what seemed like hours listening to the adults talk, you probably grew up as a pastor’s kid.

If you knew what it was to wonder if the fact that you got in trouble at school would get your parent in trouble at church, you probably grew up as a pastor’s kid.

If you knew what it was like to be able to walk into the pastor’s study/office even with the door closed, you probably grew up as a pastor’s kid.

If you had to go to church, sometimes even Sunday School, while on vacation, you probably grew up as a pastor’s kid.

If you knew what was on the shelves on the back side of the pulpit at your church, you probably grew up as a pastor’s kid.

If the words “church board meeting” created worry lines on the foreheads of your parents, you probably grew up as a pastor’s kid.

If you knew the joy, and curse, of everyone in the church knowing your first and middle names and your birthday, you probably grew up as a pastor’s kid.

If you had someone in your church who slipped you candy and seemed always know when you needed a hug even when you weren’t related, you probably grew up as a pastor’s kid. Quite often then someone seemed to take on a grandparent role with you. My kids had a few of these who they still think of fondly.

If you had to go to midweek kid’s and youth meetings no matter how much homework you claimed to have, you probably grew up as a pastor’s kid.

If you ever spent a Saturday night at a friend’s house who did not attend church and got picked up by your parents so that you would not miss church, you probably grew up as a pastor’s kid.

Feel free to add to the list if you grew up as a pastor’s kid. Here’s hoping you have a week with some great laughs and enough smiles to share a few with others.

Dennis