Trevor now has a notebook that we bring for him into the service and each week I prep a page with words that I hope will be in that week's sermon. I generally include the name of the book the text will be out of and then some key words from the verses that come after the ones from that past weeks sermon (and just cross my fingers that I've picked words that our pastor is actually going to use =).
Instead of writing the words out completely, I make them with dashed lines, so Trevor can practice tracing letters. If applicable, I put a picture of the word next to it so he can guess what word it is. Before the sermon we talk about what words to be listening for and during the sermon we point to the word or picture when we hear it. It doesn't keep him listening intently for the entire sermon, but it definitely helps! It always melts my heart when he says a word after our pastor says it. I just love to know that he actually is listening even though he doesn't understand everything.
This is what a finished sheet looks like....
If you don't keep your children in the service with you, I encourage you to prayerfully consider it! If you do keep your children with you, do you have any ideas that you have used to engage your children?