Children and Evangelism
“But Jesus called them to him, saying, ‘Let the children come to me, and do not
hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God’” (Luke 18:16). Like so many of
Jesus’ teachings, this is a bold statement because it went against the cultural views
of 1 st century Israel. Even in our society today, this verse is relevant because it calls
us to question how we see children, and their value to society. Do we treat them as
investments, embracing the mentality that one day in the future they might be
prepared enough to impact the world? Or do we see them as a key part of our
society already?
On Tuesday afternoons, some of us at Trinity have had the opportunity to host an
afterschool Bible club called “The Good News Club” at both Taylor Elementary and
Saluda River Academy. These clubs are organized and put together by Child
Evangelism Fellowship, and they also exist in many other elementary schools across
the nation. We meet on Tuesdays for an hour and a half to teach the Gospel to the
children who attend. The Lord is doing some incredible things through these clubs,
and I’m thankful for the opportunity that God has provided for us to share the
Gospel in public schools.
Children play a vital role in evangelism today, and this is a lesson I’ve recently
learned through spending some time with the children at Taylor. One of the biggest
ways that children can have an influence in society is that if we reach them, the door
is then opened to reach their family members. Kids get so excited when they’re able
to memorize an entire Bible verse or retell a Bible story, and so when they go home
and talk about what they’ve learned, the Gospel is taken into the home. Another way
these children have had an influence is that as we have taught them about Jesus, it
helps to take the fear and tentativeness out of sharing the Gospel. Evangelism is
evangelism; and whether it’s done amongst children or adults, the message is still
the same. A great way to overcome the fear often associated with telling others
about Christ is to start with sharing it with children, letting their joy and enthusiasm
motivate us to want to share the Gospel with everyone.
