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I would agree with all of Kosta's comments. Do not be afraid of taking your kids. It is actually easier for children to behave in churches without pews, since they can sit on the floor or crawl from Mom to Dad and still see the priest and the icons and what is going on.

But having gone to churches with and without pews, both, I can make a few suggestions for taking kids to a church with pews. First, although Orthodox Christians have a tendency to drag in late to the services, come a few minutes early so you can pick a good spot to sit/stand. If your children are really little, and you think they won't be able to make it through a long service without misbehaving, I think a great place to be is along the side but far enough up for them to be able to see well. That way you can make an exit, but they can still see. If you're pretty confident that they can make it through, then on the inside aisle is even better, since they can see even better. We always found that our kids behaved better when we were up closer where they could see than when we were way in back. Just do what feels comfortable, though.

I totally agree with Kosta that if a child is misbehaving to the point of disrupting people's attention, the parents should take them out for a bit, and then come back in when things are under control. But don't be too quick to take them out. We are used to kids being there, and no-one expects them to be adults. We're used to the occasional crash, wail, toddler blabber, etc... This is the children's home -- they are expected not to disrupt the services, but we want them to get used to being there. There are some churches where kids come in late after Sunday School, or leave early for Sunday School, but this is really not the Orthodox tradition.

Every child is different. With our older two, they hardly ever left the nave. With our youngest, it seems that I spent 3/4 of the service outside letting him toddle and babble, listening to the service through the open windows! It took *years* before we could get that one through an entire Liturgy without having to go out because of misbehavior...

You may be surprised at what "grabs" you and your husband. He may love the liturgy more than he realizes, and you may find that something else draws you.

For someone from a Pentecostal or charismatic background, one of the things that often really resonates about the Orthodox Church is that we have a very acute awareness of spiritual warfare that really these days is only approximated by Pentecostals and charismatics. The whole unseen world is very real to us. We are very aware and very forthright about our recognition that the demons do exist, and that they are there working their evil in the world, tempting us, attempting to deceive us, and wanting to hurt us in one way or another. We are also very aware of our guardian angels.

Before we baptize someone, not only do we exorcise the person being baptized, we even exorcize the water.

We don't think, talk, or teach demonology, though -- we are rather taught how to avoid them, and how to avoid deception, and we are given the tools -- the Mysteries/sacraments, making the sign of the Cross of Christ, prayer... -- on how to deal with that world and remain safe. C.S. Lewis once described our existence on earth as "living in occupied territory," and there is a lot of truth to that.

As soon as we move into a new home, a priest comes to our home and blesses it, and then it is blessed every year at Theophany. And believe me, we feel the difference when it is done each time!

Being hesitant about entering an Orthodox Church isn't uncommon. I think that anyone with spiritual sensibilities knows that they are entering a place that is "all business," and that they had better be ready for something to happen to them. If your husband is Church of God, he probably is serious and has spiritual sensibilities.

I hope you do go, and let me echo kosta's request to have you let us know how it went, either privately or otherwise. Our prayers are with you.