God’s Plan For Sharing
By Jon Sapp
August 2010
Editors Note: Jon has asked Debbie Carter to share in this month’s Digest. Her article is titled “The Urgency of Laying Faith Foundations with Children.” Debbie is the KNCSB Sunday School Team Childhood Specialist. She also serves on the staff of the Kaw Valley Baptist Association.)
According to George Barna’s research, Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions, we now know that by age nine, most children have their spiritual moorings in place. Research regarding all facets of spiritual and moral development shows development starts as early as age two. The spiritual guidance we give children in their earliest years is vital. Yet, many times we miss the urgency of teaching children because we may feel they are too young to understand.
The Bible tells us that children are very special to God. As teachers and parents we have a responsibility to “tell them about what the Lord has done that is worthy of praise. We will talk about His power and the wonderful things he has done.” (Psalm 78:4) Janice Haywood writes in her book Enduring Connections we are “God’s nurturers” preparing the way for salvation “by teaching, modeling, guiding and encouraging the children in our care.”
To nurture and guide children is to lay foundations that will lead to faith in Christ. For those children who attend our churches, the foundation for faith is being laid each time the child attends Bible study. Teachers have opportunities to share Bible truths and guide the children in their spiritual journey. But there are many more children who do not attend church.
Ministry to children cannot be a high priority without considering the children who do not have the opportunity hear the Bible stories. To reach these children the ministry must go beyond the walls of the church and into the community. Many children in our communities have unmet needs that directly impact their quality of life. Approximately one out of every four children live below the poverty line. More than half of the families that access food pantries have children under the age of 18. What can we do to effectively reach these children and lay foundations of faith?
To be effective, a church must have a sense of being part of something greater than themselves – a sense of mission. There must be a calling and a passion to reach beyond the four walls of the church to share the gospel with a lost world. Whether the church is small or large, a sense of mission means having the ability to mobilize whatever financial resources are at hand and having faith that God will provide what is needed to reach out.
Reaching children effectively will require doing ministry in different and creative ways. For example, year-long Bible clubs in neighborhoods give opportunities to build lasting relationships not only with children but their families as well. Perhaps an assessment of a neighborhood might reveal a particular need such as tutoring or after school care. Churches partnering together may provide these needs while building opportunities to share Christ.
Our responsibility to reach others for Christ is a mandate we must obey. We must start laying that foundation for faith at the earliest possible opportunity. We can’t depend on the people to come us. We must take the gospel to them. Is your heart broken when you think of the lost? What do you feel when you think of the children who don’t know Jesus? We must “tell them about what the Lord has done that is worthy of praise. We will talk about His power and the wonderful things he has done.” (Psalm 78:4)
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