You know you're a pastor's kid when....
- You or your siblings are frequently an illustration point in the sermon.
- You are frequently "asked" to read scripture, sing, play piano, harmonica, or the recorder for every special service, as well as most offertories.
- Basically everyone in the church knows you by name.
- Your family is the 1st to arrive at church and the last to leave after what seemed like 40 hours of "goodbyes."
- After you move away and begin being a pastor's kid at some other church, you go back to the other church and feel slightly out of place.
- You have more family than anyone you know, because those churches have become your aunts and uncles, siblings, parents and grandparents, and even great-grandparents that care for you just as if you were part of their own family. This also includes punishment as if you were part of their own family.
- You are used to getting birthday and Christmas gifts to "the family" from members of the church.
- You had major speaking roles in every Christmas pageant.
- You grow up and realize that normal people have these things called "weekends" where sometimes they go on a short trip.
- Private. Christian. School.
- You weren't allowed to be in any traveling sports teams or go to any NFL football games because they conflicted with church.
- Holidays weren't vacation days.
- You're used to your house being a revolving place where members of the church stop by to chat.
- You're used to cleaning and decorating the house for church parties.
- You were either pegged as the "good kid" or the "rebel kid."
- You felt an inordinate amount of pressure to be "the good kid" - otherwise known as "perfect."
- Two Words: Church Camp.
- The church was secretly another facility for birthday parties and you used the church ovens to make Thanksgiving dinner because they were big enough.
- Pastor's appreciation month was your favorite month because you were usually included in the small gifts the congregation gives.
- You end up doing something ministry-related as an adult, because you realize that there's no other job in the world quite like it and you've already got a lifetime of experience.
