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.