Q.DEAR BILLY GRAHAM: My wife insists on bringing our two children to church, but I’m not sure I agree. They don’t get anything out of it, and sometimes they’re just a distraction to the people around us. Why bother? — R.J.

A. DEAR R.J.: You don’t say how old your children are; many churches, of course, provide nursery facilities for very young children. Some pastors, I’ve noticed, include a brief children’s sermon in the service, after which the younger children are dismissed to a special class. In other words, you and your wife may want to see what alternatives are available for your children.

If your children are somewhat older but are still too young to understand everything that’s going on, I encourage you to keep them with you if possible.

They’ll understand some things — and most of all, they’ll begin to understand that God is important to you and your friends.