Kids are awesome evangelists

 

Kids talk about what they love, whether it's sports, stories, the beach, or watermelons, they have no filter. Kids who love Jesus will speak about Jesus. It's as simple as that, and it's a beautiful thing. We want to see people come to faith in Jesus and we want to help our kids take part in God's mission so let's think about how to support our kids in evangelism: 

 

1. Pray for the lost

 

Help your kids to identify friends and family who do not know Jesus and pray for them. Pray for opportunities to share the gospel. Model this concern to children by praying for your friends as well.

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2. Practice ‘God Talk’

 

‘God Talk’ is talking about life with a God lens. When ‘God Talk’ is normal in the home, it's normal when children are with their friends. This provides great opportunities for the gospel. Some examples of God talk are: thanking God for food whenever it's around (not just official meals), talking about how God gave us our bodies, and giving God reasons for good behavior.

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3. Connect with friends

 

A great first step in evangelism for adults and children is introducing Christian and non-Christian friends to each other.  For children, this can be done with combined play dates with Christian and non-christian friends.

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4. Play Christian songs

 

When driving in the car with friends who are not Christian, listen to Christian kids' songs. This is a non-confrontational way to capture the deep truths of the gospel in a way that engages kids' imaginations.

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5. Consider scripture contacts

 

For school-aged children, those in the scripture class are likely to be open and willing for their children to come to church. Parents can ask their child who is in the scripture class and then think about how they can foster friendships with these families.

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6. Invite to church

 

Help children plan to invite a friend to church regularly. Pick up a wad of invites to church and kids club (when it starts). Have them in your bag at the school gate, and slip them into your kids' lunchbox too. This builds a habit and normalizes being mission-minded. 

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7. Pray for mission partners

 

Help children to be mission-minded by considering those who don’t know Jesus around the world. Parents who are in a Growth Group might like to share updates from their mission partners with their children. Buy a map of the world and stick photos of missionaries you support on it. Pray for them, write letters, draw pictures, or set up a Zoom call. The opportunities are endless.

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8. Sponsor a child

 

Consider sponsoring a child through an organization like Compassion or World Vision. Write letters as a family and include what you’ve been learning about God and the Bible (as per guidelines)

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9. Share Jesus in your family

 

Family is an incredibly important mission field. Parents can share Jesus with their children by reading the bible, praying, singing Christian songs, and using ‘God Talk’ wherever possible. While effective youth and kids programs have their place, parents are the primary disciple-makers of their children.  

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10. Practice the gospel story

 

It’s important to build our kids' confidence in explaining the good news of salvation through Jesus. 'Who will be king?' is a great outline of the gospel. Learn it yourself, model and role-play what explaining the gospel to a kid's friend might mean at the various stages of their development. This process is hugely beneficial for you and your kids.

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Please note that some ideas in this article have been adapted from material written by Kidswise (Sandy Galea).

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Resources: 

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For Kids - https://matthiasmedia.com.au/products/who-will-be-king

For Parents - https://matthiasmedia.com.au/products/the-christian-gospel (I have copies to give away at my place)

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