Leading Children to Know and Follow Jesus

The Crossroads vision statement is “to bring the hope of Jesus to children and families, and to connect them to the life of a local church.” It is at the heart of our mission to share the gospel with students and lead them into a life transforming relationship with Jesus. What are the best ways to share your faith with children in club? Here are some things to keep in mind when sharing your own testimony with children.

  1. Keep it brief. Kid’s attention spans are limited! Two to three minutes is about all you should plan to communicate your story.
  2. Make it Christ-centered. When you share, you might find yourself wanting to lots of details about your life,  circumstances that led you to the Lord, or explanations of theology. Straying too far into details can be counterproductive to pointing your listener’s to Christ and the hope he offers. With kids, it’s best to keep it simple and focused. They need to know that it’s all about Jesus and trusting him as Lord.
  3. Make it age-appropriate. Everyone’s story is different, and you should use discretion about what details you share with children about your life before knowing Jesus. Also, consider the vocabulary you use and how easy it is for children to understand. For example, you might have to define “religious language” or use simpler terms for understanding.
  4. Use a story format. In the Bible, God largely uses narrative as a form to reveal himself and his plan to us. We believe that human beings are wired to make sense of the world through story. Try putting your testimony into a story format that identifies the problem you faced (sin) and the resolution (Jesus’ hope.) First, my life was like this. Then, I met Jesus and here’s how he changed me . . . Now my life is like this because of Jesus.
  5. Call your listeners to action/application. This doesn’t always have to mean an altar call or an invitation to be saved, but sometimes it might. One good framework for helping children remember what a decision to follow Christ entails is A-B-C.
  • A- Admit your sin.
  • B- Believe in Jesus as Lord.
  • C-Commit your life to Christ.

It is often said that it takes someone at least seven positive encounters with a Christian before they make their own commitment to the Lord. Recognize that you may be planting seeds for what God will do in their lives down the road.

For more info, contact a CKC staff member to review our Evangelism Philosophy.