Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14, NIV).
How Kids Think
Some people say, “Children need to grasp the Gospel’s deep significance before they should be given an opportunity to respond.” This thinking marginalizes the power of the Good News. As a result, those kids miss out on the privilege of receiving new life and enjoying Jesus’ companionship during the difficult challenges before them.
Approximately half of the people in America who come to faith in Christ respond to the Gospel before the age of 13*. That statistic underscores the importance of presenting the Good News to children—clearly and enthusiastically!
Children Can Respond to the Gospel
As soon as children become aware of personal sin, they are ripe to respond to the Good News. Even young children begin to grasp who God is, what He is like, what He has done, and what He can do. As children grow in their understanding, they realize that God is real, that the Bible is true, and that faith in God is reasonable.
By the time kids reach the age of 8-10, they develop the ability to think abstractly. By then they can personalize the concept of substitution—that Jesus took their place; He died to forgive their own sins. According to God’s law, punishment for sins requires payment of blood—an innocent victim must die for the guilty party (Romans 6:23). Jesus willingly took our place and punishment. He defeated death for us. Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf inaugurates a life transformation that allows believers of any age to begin a personal relationship with God (Hebrews 9:28, 10:10). This is Good News!
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, NIV).
What You Can Do
- Download FREE Good News for Kids here.
- Discern your child’s spiritual condition: Is he or she ready to respond, struggling to understand, or resisting the Gospel message?
- Don’t manipulate a boy or girl to simply respond in the way you want.
- When a child responds to God’s offer of forgiveness and new life, encourage him or her to publicly profess faith in Christ to friends and family.
- When you sense the time is appropriate, present the Gospel twice:
1) The first time through, clearly explain the Good News. You may want to use visuals, stories, or diagrams to help communicate the message.
2) The second time, review the Gospel and offer an opportunity to respond.
“You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:14-15, NIV).
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* Barna Group “Evangelism Is Most Effective Among Kids”, October 2004.
