My sweet kiddo and I had such a special moment on Sunday morning. He is in kindergarten now and at our church that means that either he can go to kid’s church or stay with mom and dad in the worship service. So far, he has stayed with us in the worship service and I could not have been more thankful to have him by my side this week.

Our lesson during life group time had been about the Last Supper. We washed each other’s feet, we “broke bread” with our friends like Jesus did and we shaped our play dough into loaves of bread and grapes. We had so much fun! Our children learned not just the facts of the story, but how this meal was ultimately pointing to the sacrifice that Jesus was about to make to once and for all allow us a way to be reconciled back to God. As the Lord would have it, we also shared the Lord’s Supper with our church family during the worship service that morning.

This was only Mason’s second time sitting in the service with us. When they announced that we were doing the Lord’s Supper that morning, my heart whispered “oh Lord, how perfect! Thank you!” Our kids just talked about this in their small groups! Now Mason gets to observe as we celebrate together what Jesus has done for us. He had so many questions. It was the sweetest time being able to explain him about what was happening, answering his questions and explaining to him why he couldn’t participate yet but that someday, when he’s ready, he can participate too!

I have struggled over the last few weeks of feeling like I’m not enough. I don’t have a seminary or education degree, how can I teach and disciple children? I’m not old enough to have the experience and wisdom to know what is truly best for my child. What if I make the wrong decision? What if I don’t point my kids to Jesus enough? What if I fail?

Sharing in the Lord’s Supper with my church family, sitting beside my wide-eyed and ever curious child was a huge blessing and encouragement to me. God reminded me to keep doing the hard things. Don’t take the easy way out. It’s worth the extra effort to teach and train our kids. Each week as we sit in the service, it’s worth the extra whispered reminders to not kick the chair in front of him, answering all of his questions and the extra minute it takes to make sure I have a treat for him at the end of the service. It’s worth it.

I am so grateful for those few moments with my boy to whisper into his heart such precious and eternal things. God is so cool like that.

Anyone who has heard my heart over the last few years knows that I am passionate about making the most of every opportunity we are given to pour Jesus into young hearts. The time and years we do have with our children fly by. I believe we have to be intentional and prepared to teach children the gospel.

I have spent hours each week over the last two years trying to encourage and equipt volunteers (specifically preschool volunteers) to take the time and be prepared to teach children when you are given the opportunity. For the most part, my efforts are met with grateful hearts. I have taken my fair share of eye rolls and excuses and bad attitudes as well. People have told me that one year olds can’t learn the Bible. Two year olds won’t understand, they won’t remember, they won’t sit still and listen. Three year olds can’t memorize Bible verses. And the list goes on.

I am a mom of two high energy young boys. I hear these comments and I get it. However, I must respectfully disagree. Even toddlers are learning. They are teachable. Their minds are little sponges that are going to soak up everything around them. In the little amount of time we are given with them each week in our kid’s ministry, let’s give them a whole bunch of Jesus to soak up.

I think if done in the right way, even the littlest of the precious children in our churches CAN begin at a very young age to learn about God and what it means to go to church.

Children can learn who God is. We can teach them that He is our Father who created us (and all things) and He loves us and cares about us.

Children can learn what church is. They can learn that church is a place where we learn about God, worship God, pray to God, sing to God and fellowship with our friends.

Children can learn how to pray. Sometimes my prayers with toddlers are as simple as “Thank you Jesus for our church and our friends. Thank you for the Bible. Amen.” But you know what, kid’s are learning that talking to God is easy. They can say whatever is on their little heart’s to Him because He cares for them. We are modeling for them how to be reverent, how to pray and we can give them many opportunities to practice.

Children can learn that church is a safe place. They learn that their teachers love them and want to teach them about Jesus. They can learn that no matter what happens at home, at school, at the park… that they are safe, cared about and wanted at church.

Children learn how to serve one another. We learn about sharing, taking turns and caring about each other.

Children, even the littlest ones, if instructed week after week can begin to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. Each story we share about God and His son Jesus build on each other. Week after week, year after year we faithfully teach until children no longer see each individual story, but rather The Story of God’s redemptive plan for humanity.

Kid’s Ministry volunteers, it is worth your time and effort to point these kid’s to Jesus. Your time with these precious ones should be filled with playing and snacks and games. But make sure in everything, you are pointing them back to the One who loves them and died for them and wants a relationship with them. The littlest ones can and are learning. They can sit for a one or two minute story. They can remember things that you repeat over and over and over. They do feel loved and cared for. You can build relationships with them as they begun to trust, love and listen to you. Don’t miss an opportunity to pour Jesus into our youngest children because you think they are too little to listen and learn. To do so would be missing out on a chance to let God use you to speak into these precious lives for eternity.

 

My oldest child is a very practical, logical and literal thinker. He often has his brow scrunched up trying to understand something.

I was reading the story of Moses with him the other night. He listened very intently and unusually silent. (I usually get interrupted every other sentence with a question or clarification). After we finished reading, I was asking him some summary questions.

“Mason, why didn’t Moses want to go back to Egypt?”

Mason got a very annoyed look on his face, shook his head and dramatically threw up his arms.

“Well, I guess he was scared, mommy… but…

All Moses had to do was just obey God. Just go back to Egypt, do what God told him to do and God would take care of him. He didn’t need to be afraid. God would fight for him. God would handle the bad guy.” 

Obey God. Don’t be afraid. God would fight for him. God will take care of the bad guy.

The burning bush? The stick that turned into a snake? The water that turned into blood? Frogs… dead animals… locusts…? These are the things my #boymom mind thought he would be fascinated with. No. Instead, he was fixated on the fact that Moses just needed to obey God and God would fight for him.

For a child, it seems so very simple. As an adult, I’ve been asked to do some really hard things. Haven’t you? God has certainly not asked me to go talk to a pharaoh face-to-face, telling him God is mad at him and he should let all his free labor go. No, nothing like that. But some things sure do feel that hard at the time.

I have had many conversations with God though that sounded pretty similar to Moses’ conversation with God. But God… I’m too ___________. I can’t _____________. I don’t have ______. I ain’t the right person, God!

I have learned that God really will fight for us. We obey. He’ll take care of the rest. If He gave us His word, His promise, His plan…. we can trust Him to carry through with it. We don’t have to question His sovereignty.

Sometimes obeying in faith looks like picking up a sword and marching to battle – knowing God is in front of us preparing the way.

Sometimes obeying in faith looks like sitting there in silence, waiting and praying – knowing that God is working on hearts, especially ours.

Sometimes obeying in faith looks really crazy to the rest of the world – knowing His ways and His thoughts are higher than ours.

Friends, whatever it looks like for you to obey what God has called you to do, you do it in faith. Believe that if God gave you a word, you can cling to it and hold it close to your heart. You remember that promise as you take that first step out in obedience. There’s a whole bunch of us who are taking our steps of obedience in faith too.

Sometimes God uses my child’s faith to spur me on when I’m too tired/scared/weak to move.

Obey God. Don’t be afraid. God will fight for you. God will take care of the bad guy.