Jana:
Being a pastor's kid has a lot of advantages like you get to go to tons of potlucks with lots of great food. However, it also has some disadvantages like you have to listen to boring sermons that you have heard so many times that you practically have them memorized! If you are a PK (pastor's kid), you know exactly what I mean!
Jaci:
Speaking of potlucks, dad is always asked to pray because he is the pastor. This is a lot of praying because we go to a lot of potlucks! The praying doesn't bother me as much as the weird casseroles we must eat afterwards!
Jana:
I agree that one of the disadvantages of being a pastor's kid is that you have to listen to the same sermons over and over again. I also don't like people making up nicknames like PK or Preppy. They think you should know everything about the Bible.
Jaci:
At our church we have two service. Early church starts at 8 a.m., and late church starts at 11 a.m. Sometimes when dad preaches, we have to sit through two whole services and hear the same sermon two times in one day! There is one advantage to this as dad usually gets me supplies from the church office like pen, paper, and marker's to help me pass the time.
Sometimes dad tells stories about my sister and me in his sermons. It can really get embarrassing! But what is even worse is when he embarrasses himself in church.
Jana:
Other people don't know how it feels to have your dad preach a lot. Sometimes I get embarrassed when he makes weird expressions, shouts to get his point across, or tells embarrassing stories about me and my sister. Sometimes dad does things to embarrass himself up front, which embarrasses me. Like the time he preached the whole sermon with his pants unzipped and did not find out until he was given a note by a church member that read, "Sometime, when you get a private moment, you need to check your fly!" Everyone in our church tells this story now! It's times like this when I wish I wasn't a pastor's kid.
Jaci:
Something that I think is an advantage is that dad has the keys to every door in the church. It's cool because we sometimes go exploring and he has even taken us in the church steeple.
Even though others often expect us to act better than most kids, being a PK also means that you get the special privilege of having your own parent baptize you! Even if they are kind of emotional (like my dad), it feels good to have them baptize you instead of a stranger.
Jana:
Our parents are pretty cool. They don't expect us to do everything right. We're human. All PKs are—we all make mistakes just like everyone else. And we don't know everything about the Bible like some people might think. In fact, some kids who aren't PKs (like my best friend, Alexis) know a lot more about the Bible than I know.
Jaci:
Because dad is a pastor, we get opportunities to do scripture, lead songs, have special music, or be in plays at the church. This is a lot of fun! Dad also can answer hard Bible questions, and it's fun to be on his team playing Bible games because we always win!
Because dad is a pastor, he has to be gone some in the evenings for church meetings, visitation, or emergencies. Sometimes I miss him and wish he were home.
Jana:
Sometimes, if you are a PK like me, you aren't allowed to do certain things because some church members might get too upset over it!
Jaci:
That's right, if you are a pastor's kid, some people make a big deal if you wear things or do things they think are wrong. Some people think our family should be perfect just because our dad is the pastor. This is not true!
Jana:
But one great advantage is being able to go to the yearly pastors' retreat. We get to go to the camp for a week with all the other pastors and their families to meet new people, ski, ride horses, learn crafts, and just have lots of fun. I guess I really enjoy being a PK, and I don't think that I want to trade my life for anyone else's. Besides—everyone in the whole church knows who I am.
Jaci:
The way I see it being a pastor's kid isn't all that bad, especially if your dad/mom is as cool and as gifted as ours.
