Blog
Releasing Children to be Missionaries in their World
When 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:
Empower Kids for Ministry Using the Ezekiel Principle
If you are like me, you have struggled with finding leadership in your church weekly, monthly, and anytime there is a large event. While doing my doctoral studies, it hit me one day: When a child is only allowed to sit and listen in a classroom for eighteen years, the results are the same every time. They become adults and parents who do not want to serve, not because they are lazy, but because they were not taught as children that they had value in the body of Christ and gifts to use for His glory. There is an old saying, “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.” From Ezekiel 47:1-9, we see five phases of spirituality that I call The Ezekiel Principle: on the bank, ankle deep, knee deep, waist deep, and swimming. In order to take a person into the spiritual depths with God, we must move them from the bank of the river into the deep end and fully submitting to God. This is what we taught our leadership, and we saw a new passion and excitement in the lives of our children, preteens, and students.
Taking Children on "A Journey of Prayer"
“I thought you were crazy when you announced that we would be praying for an hour and a half with the kids. I did not think that second grade boys could pray that long. I was totally wrong. They prayed the whole time with excitement.” This was the response from one of our leaders years ago when we took children on what we call “A Journey of Prayer.” We set aside one evening and set up our classrooms as prayer stations.
"A Journey of Prayer" for Children
“I thought you were crazy when you announced that we would be praying for an hour and a half with the kids. I did not think that second grade boys could pray that long. I was totally wrong. They prayed the whole time with excitement.” This was the response from one of our leaders years ago when we took children on what we call “A Journey of Prayer.” We set aside one evening and set up our classrooms as prayer stations.
