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 home > Family Enrichment
'What Gift May I Give
to the Least of These?'
By Rod Marshall, Ed.S., LPC-S, NCC, RPT-S,
Director of Counseling,
Pathways Professional Counseling,
A family ministry of Alabama Baptist Children's Homes & Family Ministries
and
Rev. David Eanes, M.Div.,
Minister to Preschool/Children,
Ridgecrest Baptist Church, Montgomery, Alabama
Christian parents have no greater responsibility than to evangelize and disciple their own child or children. There is no greater gift that we can pass on to our children than the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, graciously offered to us from God. There is no more natural nor more vital mission field than our own homes and our own families.
According to Princeton Religious Research, 85 percent of individuals who accept Jesus Christ as their Savior will do so before their 18th birthday. We must share the gospel with our own children and equip our church members to share the gospel with their own children.
Is there a best way to share the gospel with a child?
Here are some tips to keep in mind as we take seriously this awesome responsibility, opportunity and privilege.
1. Look for opportunities to discuss the gospel that are more natural than contrived. A child may be amazed at the beauty of a sunset, and that may be the perfect chance to talk to him or her about the Creator God who knows and loves him or her personally. Remember the child's developmental level and his or her cognitive abilities.
Children think in this-world, literal terms and nothing is more holy, more sacred and more not-of-this- world than God. For that reason, we speak of religious and spiritual issues in very abstract terms.
2. Be careful to use everyday language when speaking to a child about faith matters. Avoid church talk. Our language of the sacred is helpful for us to understand one another, but think of it as a type of verbal shorthand that makes it
easier for us to talk about very complex issues. It will take more time and more effort to talk to children in terms they can understand. Imagine the mental picture a literal-minded child might have when we talk about "giving your heart
to Jesus."
Instead of saying “Go (come) forward,” try “Let the church people know what Jesus has done for you.”
Instead of saying “Commit your life,” try “Promise Jesus that you will always try to do what pleases Him.”
Instead of saying “Give your heart to Jesus,” try “Trust Jesus to help you live your life in the way he wants you to live.”
Instead of saying “Lost,“ try "Not trusting Jesus to help you day by day.”
Instead of saying "Saved," try “Trusting Jesus to forgive you for displeasing him.”
3. Try NOT to
• Lead the child into making a decision he or she doesn't understand.
• Assume that you know what the child is thinking or feeling.
• Jump deeper into a subject than the child is ready for.
• Offer external rewards to the child for making a decision.
• Act as if you are an authoritative source for all spiritual things and that you have all of the answers.
• Simply feed him/her the words or phrases that you want to be "regurgitated" back to you. Avoid "Yes/No" questions and ask open-ended questions that spark conversation.
• If your child prays a prayer to accept Jesus Christ, avoid the temptation to ask "So, how do you feel?". This might lead the child to believe he or she should "feel" different or
may cause him or her to question whether the prayer really worked. In the worst case, this could lead the child to believe that faith is strictly a matter of feeling rather than a conscious choice to follow Christ and His teachings.
4. Try to
• Encourage the child to express his or her own ideas.
• Give the conversation proper value. Avoid distractions.
• Be natural and at ease.
• Be quiet and be willing to listen. If you are doing most of the talking, your child is most likely not ready to make a decision for Christ.
• Accept the child and his or her ideas.
• Live your faith in such a way that your child sees the difference that Jesus Christ makes in your life. The way you live out your faith is the way your child will view faith matters.
According to Eugene Chamberlin, a child can really believe when
• The Holy Spirit moves in his or her heart and mind as the Holy Spirit must move in the heart and mind of all whom He brings to repentance and faith.
• His or her motives for professing faith in Christ are free from external pressures such as the desires of his or her parents or the adventures of his or her friends.
• He or she is able to relate his or her own actions to God.
• He or she can for himself/herself accept the basic truths of the gospel.
• His or her attitude toward the claims of Christ peaks in a genuine desire to live in a way to please God from this day forward.
Other Ideas to Consider
• Answer a child's questions and satisfy his or her natural, inquisitive nature. If he or she asks a question to which you don't know the answer, try to find the answer.
• Make sure the child understands the concept of sin and Christ's impact on sin, as well as the purpose of repentance and confession. You may explain that sin is doing bad things and also not doing good things. Assure the child that even grown-ups sin and that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Remember that until someone understands the reality of sin, he or she can never see the need to invite Christ to govern his or her life.
• Make sure the child can acknowledge his or her own sinfulness and his or her personal need for Christ.
• If the child has not begun conversations about spiritual matters by the time he or she is 10 years old, the adult may need to take the initiative by introducing faith issues into the conversation in as natural a manner as possible.
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