Some churches shortening services

They also hope the half-hour Family Eucharist on Sundays, accompanied by a mid-week video to be shown at home, shows their commitment to the young. The service is informal, with piano instead of organ for instrumentation and folk-type music instead of traditional hymns. The words for the prayers and songs are displayed on an electronic screen. And kids are welcome to make noise, cry or be jittery.

Parishioner Jacqueline Barker said she always sits in the back during the adult service at St. Paul's, ready to make a quick exit if her 3-year-old and 5-year-old get noisy. She said the Family Eucharist allows her boys to pay attention for the whole service and also participate.

Parent Mary Whittemore said she loves having a choice between taking her 10-year-old daughter to the traditional 10 a.m. service or Family Eucharist at 10:45 a.m.

"It's a great gateway for children to be exposed to church in a more casual way," Whittemore said. "If a kid starts screaming, it's fine. The church I grew up in was not like that."