Uncomfortabe Easter Egg Hunt

Today we met some friends at a nearby Easter Egg Hunt. These are friends we try to play with once a week or so. The egg hunt was held at a local mega-church. Free hot dog & drinks for the kiddos, blow-up games, carnival games, prize walk, etc. There was even a scary looking bunny and a chicken walking around. My daughter wants NOTHING to do with dressed up characters. I don't force her at all...I feel for her! Each kid got lots of promo materials from the church. I expected as much...even though I had no idea that it was such a huge carnival.

Then we were told to line up for the Easter Egg hunt. We had to line up at the church doors. OK...maybe they are having us go inside while they hide the eggs. NOPE! They were ushering us in to brainwash preach to us. OK...this is held at a church...so I thought this will be OK. They are just going to thank us for coming, rile up the kids, and then send us out the backdoor to get eggs! NOPE!! We got tricked treated to a mini church service. Hum...

First off the music was WAY too loud. I am not talking I've become my dad and complain about loud music in restaurants old loud...it was kids cover your ears cause you will damage your hearing loud. Second off...they had a kid around 20 give his testimonial. OK...that was very brave of him...but who thought it would be good to have someone talk about their addiction/problems with drugs to kids 10 and under? I really hope it was over the kids heads because it was some troubling stuff. Maybe OK for middle or high schoolers, but they weren't included in the carnival! Third...teens did an musical interpretation of Jesus dying on the cross. Once again, nice presentation but NOT appropriate for young children. And finally, there were bouncers blocking the doors...no way could you go wait in the lobby. If you wanted to go hunt for eggs...you HAD to stay in the sanctuary. My friend lucked out and was able to go out as her (newly potty trained) son had to go the bathroom and she got back just in time to go out for eggs!

Don't get me wrong...it wasn't that I was uncomfortable with church. I am a Christian and I go to church. I am actively involved in my church. I teach Sunday School and put in many volunteer hours each month. I believe that people should have a choice and not have things forced on them. Yes, we had the choice to leave the presentation, but then my daughter would not have been able to hunt for eggs...which she was very excited about. So we stayed. She seems no worse for the wear, and I survived. She has a basket full of candy and got to go on the blow up slide. I just won't go to that church again. Oh wait...that's our polling place. So I will visit...just on voting day!

Here's the good part~