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Releasing Preteens to be Missionaries in their World

missionariesWhen I told my pastor that I was going to take our 5th and 6th graders on a mission trip and that they would be sharing the Gospel, he thought I was crazy! About thirteen years ago, I felt led by the Lord to take our preteens on a mission trip and release them to lead evangelistic Bible studies in Corpus Christi, Texas. When I shared my idea with my pastor, he thought I had lost my mind! “Wow! Did I hear the Lord?” That thought haunted me on the six and a half hour drive to Corpus Christi. That fear was quickly replaced the first day on the trip when a 5th-grade boy named Mark taught at a local apartment complex. After he shared the Bible study that day, Mark gave an invitation to respond to the message, and seven people accepted Christ—three of them were teenagers!

 

Guys, the Lord is moving in the lives of children today. Did you know that 71 percent of those who accept Christ as Savior do so between the ages of 4 and 14?[1] It is believed that children are the most effective agents for reaching their friends with the Gospel message. For me in the last fifteen years, the Lord has taught me so much about His plan. When children are properly trained how to share the Good News of Christ, they are unstoppable. They become fearless with His message. Here are a few tips to get started:

  1. Find a proper tool for training them. Be careful when you teach children to share the Gospel. Find tools that use open-ended questions and that don’t ask for “yes” or “no” answers. The questions should be used to assess where children are and their understanding of sin and the need for a Savior.
  2. Train children, and then give them places to practice. Every year before our mission trip or outreach event, we would work with our preteens and properly train them how to share their faith. Then we would have them role play with each other and practice sharing.
  3. Create opportunities for them to share in your community. Look for opportunities in your community for your children to share the Gospel once they have been trained in your church. We did ministry in apartments, mobile home parks, Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs, or anywhere that there was an open door.
  4. Follow up with those they counsel. This is where the blessing comes. Out of all the children I have followed up with after our preteens have counseled them, about 99 percent knew exactly what they had done. The message of the Gospel is a simple message and easy for a child to share.

Here is an interview with a 4th grader named Emma Grace. During our 2015 mission trip, Emma taught at a local Boys’ and Girls’ Club in Granbury, Texas. After she taught, four children accepted Christ as their Savior and Lord. This is one of my favorite interviews: when I told her, “I thought kids couldn’t do things like this. What do you think?” she said to me, “From my perspective…” Her story will bless your heart.

If you are looking for evangelistic tools to train your children and students to share the Good News of Christ, we have a special offer on our Outreach Package. Click here.

If you are interested in being a part of a sponsored mission trip click here for more information. 


[1] www.4to14window.com

 
 
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