I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses and although you may never have gone to one of our meetings I will tell you from experience it is a place where you will be welcomed with open arms. There are not special arrangements for children, they are right among the congregation and even participate in the meetings.
I have traveled alot and moved alot in the past since my husband was military. Where ever we moved even though I knew no one as soon as I went to a meeting and continued to go I had a family, each time I went I would meet new people. At the congregation I am in now others often help with my kids ( I have 4 and my husband does not come with me) People ask me how I am and they are there for me when I need help.
There is not a "pastor" rather members of the congregation are all ministers and work together to meet eachother's needs and to run the congregation. Being a part of a witness congregation has given meaning to my life and given me a family where ever we are.
I also experienced this as a child, when I was small my family was moving from Quebec back to Washington, my parents each drove a car with one of us kids. My mom was in one car with my brother when a semi truck made her car roll, by all rights neither of them should have lived, but they did. However they needed time to recover and since there were only 3 seats in the truck my dad was driving needed alternative transportation. We stayed for weeks with a Jehovah's witness family we had never met they fed us, cared for us, and the whole congregation of people who had never met us before helped us get another vehicle.( both by contributing to the money my parents had and helping us find one)
Later when I was grown and out of the house ( but my 4 siblings were not) my dad was injured on the job badly right after finishing a large contract that he paid the money out to complete, but never got paid on. My family lost everything, I was only 18 at the time and newly married so I could help very very little, but a family in my parent's congregation found out that they were in need and gave them a house to live in for a year and half WITHOUT CHARGE so that they would not be homeless and could get back on their feet.
Please know that even though I was raised in the Jehovah's witness faith I did not just blindly decide to become one, I studied all other religions and married outside the faith before I finally came to conclusion that it was where I belonged, part of what did that for me was the fact that I was never made to feel welcome and cared about anywhere else like I was there, there truly was and is love among the brothers and sisters ( that's what we call eachother) in our congregations....If you are looking for fancy stain glass or impressive buildings and lots of entertainment @ your congregation this is not the place to go. However if you are looking for real friends and real caring and an atmosphere where you really do study your Bible, this is it.
Wishing you many blessings!
