Sunday afternoons after I volunteer in our kids’ ministry are devoted to long, much-needed naps. Children’s ministry is hard work! If you’re like me, you might sometimes collapse on the couch and wonder, Did my efforts make a difference? Did they really understand what I said?
These kinds of doubts have been floating around since Bible times. As people brought children to Jesus, the disciples rebuked them. Perhaps they did not think children were worth the Lord’s time. But Jesus welcomed them: “Let the little children come to Me.” (See Mark 10:13-16.)
In his book Come Ye Children, C.H. Spurgeon emphasized that the gospel is not beyond the comprehension of children. He compared it to a river, where there are shallow places for even the smallest lambs to wade without fear of being swept away. He also wrote:
It is true that in the Scriptures there are great mysteries … but the knowledge of these deep things is not essential to salvation, or else few of us would be saved. The things that are essential to salvation are so exceedingly simple that no child need sit down in despair of understanding the things which make for his peace. Christ crucified is not a riddle for sages, but a plain truth for plain people. True, it is meat for men, but it is also milk for babes.
Yes, kids are capable of understanding the gospel. Your efforts make a difference, whether you see the fruits of your labor or not. The gospel is simple enough for children to understand, and it is deep enough for you to spend the rest of your life studying it. God is at work in the hearts of the kids you teach. Trust Him! The Gospel Project for Kids includes an optional time during each large group session to present the gospel to kids. Check out the age-appropriate posters for both preschoolers and kids.
Thank for this article. I am in Montana for three weeks working on an Indian reservation and I don’t know if the kids “get it” or not. They have teachers every Sunday telling them the Good News of Jesus Christ. We come in the summer from Tennessee to do VBS and we tell them of the Love Of Jesus. I pray that they get it.
It can be difficult at times when we don’t see results of the seeds God uses us to plant. But we trust God that He is at work in the kids! Keep it up!
Wow this is such a timely post for me! I have been teaching this curriculum for almost 2 months and I felt so discouraged this past week after teaching. This is a great reminder to Trust God! He is always at work. Thank you for this encouragement.
So glad to hear that, Katherine! Be patient, much of the application and transformation takes time as the individual stories and concepts you introduce each week compile to make up the one big story.
I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU for these posts. I am so encouraged by each one I read. Keep up the good work! What YOU do in encouraging those of us who raise or teach little people MATTERS too! 🙂
So glad you are being encouraged, Jessica! Our team really wants to come alongside you and do just that, so thank you for encouraging us!
This post is so wonderful! We are sharing it for the second time at our team huddle to encourage our volunteers as we begin implementing The Gospel Project curriculum in our nursery and toddler area. Thank you for writing it!