House Rules for Community Groups with Children

In the book, Growing Kids God's Way, Gary & Anne Marie Ezzo write, "When we were raising our children … we enjoyed them … but, ladies and gentlemen, what is most significant, what is more important to the Christian testimony, is the fact that our friends enjoyed our children." Here are some suggested house rules for community groups with children:

1. We will walk, not run, inside the house.

2. Since we care about others and their belongings, we will not put our feet or jump on furniture.

3. As guests, we will not turn on the television, stereo, computer, or play musical instruments without permission.

4. We will ask to play with someone else's toys. If something gets broken, we will apologize and replace it.

5. We will respect treasured objects and decorations that belong to our host family and we will not touch or play with them.

6. We will respect the privacy of others by not entering areas where the door is closed. Closed doors mean that the area is off limits.

7. We will ask permission to enter bedrooms or the kitchen. We will not open the refrigerator, cabinets, or any closets without permission.

8. We will listen carefully and obey the host family's request when food and drinks are served. In some homes, we will be asked to eat and drink in specific areas.

9. We will be polite and help put things away at the end of the cell family meeting.

10. We will thank our host family for sharing their home with us.

11. When cell meets in our house, we will communicate clearly specific house rules that are not included above.

Each cell must decide how the house rules will be enforced. For example, you might decide that after 2 warnings, disobedient children will be returned to their parents for the remainder of the evening.