You know you're a pastor's kid when....


  1. You or your siblings are frequently an illustration point in the sermon.
  2. You are frequently "asked" to read scripture, sing, play piano, harmonica, or the recorder for every special service, as well as most offertories.
  3. Basically everyone in the church knows you by name.
  4. Your family is the 1st to arrive at church and the last to leave after what seemed like 40 hours of "goodbyes."
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. You are used to getting birthday and Christmas gifts to "the family" from members of the church.
  8. You had major speaking roles in every Christmas pageant.
  9. You grow up and realize that normal people have these things called "weekends" where sometimes they go on a short trip.
  10. Private. Christian. School.
  11. You weren't allowed to be in any traveling sports teams or go to any NFL football games because they conflicted with church.
  12. Holidays weren't vacation days.
  13. You're used to your house being a revolving place where members of the church stop by to chat.
  14. You're used to cleaning and decorating the house for church parties.
  15. You were either pegged as the "good kid" or the "rebel kid."
  16. You felt an inordinate amount of pressure to be "the good kid" - otherwise known as "perfect."
  17. Two Words: Church Camp.
  18. The church was secretly another facility for birthday parties and you used the church ovens to make Thanksgiving dinner because they were big enough.
  19. Pastor's appreciation month was your favorite month because you were usually included in the small gifts the congregation gives.
  20. 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.