Quote:
Originally Posted by ChTatum
This past week I had a dear sister tell me how distracted she was during an awesome altar service. It seems about 4 youngsters were texting back and forth on two phones. Evidently not quietly as someone else also mentioned it to me as well. I was so busy at the altar I didn't notice it.
This Sunday (yesterday), along with the opening announcements I told parents that if I saw a child with a cell phone out during service, I would embarass them by calling them by name and telling them to put it away. I told the parents there was no need to be angry with me if I did that to their child as I had given them fair warning.
What think ye?
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In my opinion, as pastor you were within your rights.
When I was going to the Vineyard, announcements were shown on overhead screens before service. An announcement to turn off cell phones or to set them to vibrate was shown several times. Some people just ignored it. I remember sitting in service one day and the cell phone of a person one or two seats away (I didn't know them) rang and the person answered it and carried on a conversation. Afterwards, I heard the person punching in another number and they called someone.
A couple of weeks ago I was teaching on a Wednesday night. I happened to be teaching on "intercession." Usually I leave my cell phone in my truck during service or turn it off. While I was teaching my phone rang. I grabbed it out of my coat pocket, apologized and hit a button to turn it off. Well, I guess I didn't hold the button in long enough because it rang again. Some one said "Maybe you should answer that." I did and it was someone calling to tell me that he was going into the hospital two days later and asked me to pray. I told him I would pray as soon as I hung up so we did. Maybe that call was meant to be even though it interrupted the teaching.