Sharing the Gospel With Kids

 

Sharing the Gospel with Kids

by Jinette Williams, Team Leader in Aurora, IL

It’s no doubt that a main desire you have as a Crossroads leader is to hear children say, “Yes!” to Jesus as Lord.  If you are anything like me, you might be a little scared or confused as to how to share the gospel with children. I have lots of experience sharing the gospel with teens and adults, but when I began serving in Crossroads I found myself intimidated and unsure about to share the gospel with children. The irony is that Jesus often lovingly points us to children and tells us have childlike faith! Based off of my experience in Crossroads, I want to share some helpful tips I’ve learned when sharing the gospel with kids.  

1) Building trust is super important!  How can you expect a kid to say, “Yes!” to Jesus if they haven’t met a Christian they trust?  The commitment and love you show each kid will allow you the opportunity to invite them into a relationship with Jesus.    

 

2) Watch for when a child is open and receptive. There’s a third grader in our club that initially was very closed to and confused about Christianity.  At the beginning of the year, she would ask questions with an attitude and roll her eyes. But in the last couple weeks, she started asking questions out of a genuine interest. Just last week she was excited when I shared the gospel and gave Bibles to all the kids.  She said, “I’m going to read the whole thing!”

3) Keep it simple!  The gospel is only as complex as we make it.  The main components of a gospel presentation are God’s character and nature, humanity’s sinful nature, how sin has separated us from God and our need for Christ to bring us back into a right relationship with God.  Committing to Christ is as easy as A B C… Admit sinfulness/brokenness…  Believe Jesus died for your sins and that he is Savior and LORD… Commit your life to God and His word!

4) Use visuals when sharing the Gospel with children.  Once in club when I talked about the gospel during a lesson about the tabernacle, I started with some images on a handout. I drew an outline of a cross over the images and was able to connect the story about the tabernacle with the need to be clean in order to have fellowship with God. It made kids see the need for Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Another time, a white shirt and a permanent marker served as a powerful visual that we are marked up with sin and need for Jesus to take on our sins.  The third time I used the bridge diagram, a great tool I’ve used before with adults. I have found that visuals really help catch the kids’ attention!

In the weeks that remain for the club year, I pray that the Lord might give you the courage to proclaim the Gospel with boldness and that He would open the hearts and minds of the kids in your club.