Teaching Children To Share Their Faith
Children who have had a genuine conversion experience want to share their faith with others but sometimes lack the understanding of where to begin. We can help by giving them practical experiences and training in the church setting. Here are some ideas to consider:
Begin by giving children opportunities in Sunday School to share what Jesus means to them. This will be good preparation for them to express their faith outside the church. Provide time each week for at least one child to share what God has done for him or her. Invite members from your congregation to come to your class to share their testimonies. This will inspire the children and help them learn through the example of familiar adult and teen role models.
Teach your students verses of salvation Scripture. Help them understand their meaning through visuals, explanations, and discussion. Ask the children to mark the verses in their Bibles. This will help them to find references easily when they are talking with one of their friends or family members about the Lord.
For a learning activity choose a small group of children to do a skit, or instruct them to role-play different ways to tell their friends about Jesus. A short, open-ended script will help them get started. Puppets can be very effective as children identify with them easily and gain confidence as they rehearse real life situations.
Another idea is to divide your class into small groups of 3 to 5 children and seat them in a circle or at tables. Ask the children to complete a sentence as a springboard for discussion. Two examples are, "I'm glad I'm a Christian because..." or, "We know God loves us because..." A good way to begin this exercise is for the teachers to share first. You can write the children's responses on a chalkboard or tablet.
Next, have the children write down their responses on sheets of lined paper. Provide a blank sheet of paper along with colored pencils, crayons, or markers to illustrate their short essays. The compositions and illustrations can be glued or stapled (side by side) to a large sheet of colored construction paper that has been folded in half in book form. Display the testimonies in your room to encourage the children to express their faith in many ways.
One of the best ways to help children learn how to witness is to involve them in outreach ministries. In Mobilizing Kids for Outreach, Pete Hohmann describes the need for a paradigm shift in our thinking of how we teach children in the church. An overemphasis on sitting still and listening without opportunities for participation may result in passivity in the children we are teaching. Hohmann points out the need to train and involve children in evangelism while they are still in the children's department. Forming ministry teams that will go out into the community in a real life experience is a wonderful way to involve children in evangelism. Musical groups and puppet teams can minister in inner-city churches, parks, nursing homes, day care centers, and fairs----just to name a few possibilities.
Sunday schools can plan outreach and family events designed specifically to help their students introduce their friends to church. This first step will make it easier for children to explain what they believe to their friends. Some possibilities are Gym Nite, Fall Fun Festival, Ice Cream Sunday, VBS, camp-outs, Super Saturday, Back-to-School Night, and a Birthday Party for Jesus. Sunday school contests also provide children with special opportunities to invite their friends to church.
Finally, pray in class for your children that God will help them to shine for Him wherever they are. Help them understand that while some people may not show interest, others will hear the message with gladness. Whatever the response, your students will know that they have obeyed Christ's command and have had a vital part in fulfilling the Great Commission.
