Newsletter 21
Newsletter 21.
Contents,
Fundamental Beliefs 2. Is Jesus really God?
Teaching tip 7. Use of Ventriloquism to teach class rules.
Teaching tip 8. Leading children to Christ.
Young children and salvation. By Terri.
Fundamental Beliefs. 2. Is Jesus really God?
The belief that Jesus Christ is the God-Man, i.e. completely God and completely human in one Person is the basis of the Christian faith. Most people believe that Jesus was human, but many doubt His deity. So why then do we believe that Jesus is God Himself? Here are a number of reasons.
1. His egocentric claims. The self-centredness of Christ's teaching marks Him out from other religious teachers. He clearly thought of Himself as distinct from man and one with God.
a. Intimacy with God. Jesus made some astounding claims. For example He said, "I and the Father are one." (John 10.30). and "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." (John 14.9). Jesus also called Himself the 'Son of God.' In those days the word 'son' implied 'the same as' rather than 'dependent upon' or 'derived from' as it does today. This oneness that Jesus claimed with God was both unique and eternal (John 8.58).
b. Authority over men. Jesus did not think or speak of Himself as an ordinary man among men. He set Himself apart from the rest of mankind and claimed authority over them - to teach about God (Matthew 7.28,29) - to call men to Himself (Matthew 7.24-27; 10.37) thus making Himself the object of their faith, love and obedience - to forgive repentant sinners (Mark 2.5) - to judge the unrepentant (Matthew 7.21-23, Matthew 25.31-33).
Faced with these claims we cannot dismiss Jesus as just a good man or a great teacher. He was either deluded, a liar or divine. As C.S. Lewis put it "Jesus was either mad, bad or God."
2. His balanced and humble conduct. Jesus did not behave like a person with delusions His character confirms His claims. Consider this paradox:-
His claims sound like a madman's, yet his conduct was poised and balanced.
His teaching appears proud, ("I am - - - the way, the truth and the life - - - the bread of life - - - the light of the world - - - the resurrection and the life") yet He was humble.
His words were thoroughly self-centred ("Come to me - - - ") yet His deeds were absolutely unselfcentred.
This combination of egocentricity and humility is unparalled in the history of the world.
3. His divine works. The miraculous works that Jesus did do not prove His divine nature, but they are in accordance with it, and support His claims that He is God.
4. His bodily resurrection. The evidence for the resurrection of Jesus was considered in the last Newsletter (No. 20). His resurrection - like His divine works - do not prove His deity, but it is in accordance with it.
5. The claims of scripture. The scriptures clearly portray Jesus as God. Some passages (e.g. John 1.1-3 and Colossians 1.15-19) cannot explained apart from the deity of Christ.
Summary. The 'acid test' of Christianity stands or falls on the position we give to Jesus Christ. If Jesus is not God, then His death on the cross cannot possibly bring salvation to us. If He is God, His coming to earth, and supremely His death and resurrection is, for every person, by far the most important event in the history of mankind.
Teaching tip 7. Use of Ventriloquism to teach class rules.
I have taught many different classes over the last ten years, and the general group behaviour has varied considerably. Fortunately, today, most of my classes are fairly well behaved. However, even for the well behaved classes, I think it advisable to have a few simple rules. That way the children will know and understand when their behaviour is unacceptable. Having class rules is also a good introduction to teaching on God’s rules (e.g. the Ten Commandments).
Note. Many teachers do not use Ventriloquism in their classes because they are not 'experts', and fear the children will notice their lips moving. Don't worry! If you have good material ( and One way street www.onewaystreet.com have some excellent scripts), the children won't mind if your lips are moving, and will love it anyway.
Paul Anglemyer has posted an interesting skit ‘The Rules’ on the Children’s Ministry Today ‘Vault’ (www.childrensministry.org) for teaching class rules using a Ventriloquist’s doll. I have adapted and expanded on this skit for my own classes using my Ventriloquist’s doll ‘George’. I proceed as follows.
Write out your ‘Kool’ Rules and display them prominently.
Kool Rules.
1. Be quiet.
2. Don’t be a space invader.
3. Stay seated.
4. HAVE FUN.
Self. George, I want you to teach these children our four ‘Kool Rules’. Can you remember the first one?
George (Excited). Yes, I remember, I remember. The first rule is Everyone Shut up, Shut up, Shut up.
Self. George, it’s rude to say ‘Shut up.’ But we do want the children to be quiet while I or any other Leader is talking. That way, everyone will be able to hear what is being said. If anyone wants to say something, they need to put up their hand. Then I may, or may not, ask them to speak. But at all other times they need to be quiet.
George. That is what I said. Everyone Shut up, Shut up, Shut up.
Self. Alright, I think they understand the first rule. Now, do you remember the second Kool rule?
George (Excited). Yes, I remember. The second rule is:- No punching. No kicking. No fighting. No pinching. No spitting. No scratching. No biting. And No Kissing.
Self. I wouldn’t have put it quite like that, but we do want the children not to be space invaders. Everyone must respect other people’s space. So you need to keep your hands, feet and other parts of your body to yourselves. Now George, do you remember the third Kool rule?
George. Yes, the third rule is ‘Stay seated.’
Self. That’s exactly right.
George. I know how we can make them all stay seated.
Self. How?
George. Super glue. We stick them all to the floor or their chairs with Super glue. That way, they won’t be able to get up!
Self. That’s no good George. There may be times when we want them to get up to do something.
George. No Super glue?
Self. No Super glue. But I think they will remember that rule. Now George, I am sure you remember the last and most important Rule of all?
George. Mmmmm. I’ve forgotten.
Self. Come on George, try harder.
George. Mmmmm. Oh yes, now I remember. The last rule is No fun.
Self. No fun?
George. That’s right. No fun. Nobody is allowed to have fun.
Self. No George, it’s the opposite of that. The last rule is Have fun. Everybody has to have fun.
George. Everybody has to have fun?
Self. Yes, that’s the rule. Everybody has to have fun.
George. I don’t like the sound of that. What happens if somebody doesn’t have fun?
Self. But they have to have fun. That’s the rule.
George. But suppose somebody isn’t having fun. What happens to them?
Self. Tell me George, are you having fun?
George. No, I am not.
Self. Then this is what happens to someone who is not having fun. (George is quietly put away into his case)!
Poor old George. I don’t think he likes our last rule. But we aren’t given rules so that we will like them. We are given rules so that we will keep (or obey) them.
We get rules from many different sources. God has given us rules to live by, and these can be found in the Bible. The Government gives us rules, about things like paying our taxes or crossing the road. You have rules at school, and I am sure you have rules at home – things you can or cannot do. Some rules you probably like, and some you don’t. The most important thing to remember about rules – no matter where they come from – is that they are not given to us to spoil our fun. Rather they are given to us for our own benefit and protection. If we keep the rules, we are not likely to hurt ourselves or others.
Now, lets all say together our four Kool rules. But you have to shout the last one out, to make sure that George hears it!
Teaching tip 8. Leading children to Christ.
Leading a child to Christ is an awesome privilege and responsibility. Unfortunately, in their natural zeal to see children make a commitment to Christ some teachers may try to lead a child to the Lord before he/she is really ready. Conversely, other teachers may always "leave it to someone else" and so may miss God-given opportunities to help children into the Kingdom.
Obviously opportunities should be given for children to receive Christ, but I believe "appeals" should not be made too often, or the children may become hardened to them and not treat them seriously. I believe appeals should be reserved for "special occasions" when time can be taken to ensure that each child is made aware of what salvation really is, and of the importance of the decision they are being asked to make. Much prayer, wisdom and God's guidance is needed in knowing both the right time and method best suited for the child or children in question. ( I often use my Object Lesson No. 8 (Receiving Jesus) when teaching on Salvation. I will paste it on below for the benefit of the newer readers).
I have been in many children's meetings where the Leader has given an invitation for anyone to accept Christ by raising their hands or coming out to the front. There is absolutely nothing wrong with encouraging children to make a Public commitment, but usually in my experience what happens is either nobody responds or they all (or nearly all) do! This is because children are very much influenced by their peers. A child may wish to respond to Christ, but if none of their friends raise their hands, they will probably not do so either. Conversely, a child may not be ready to receive Christ, but if they see their friends going to the front, they don't want to be the odd one out, and are likely to follow them.
In a group situation, I believe the best way to make an appeal is by inviting the children - if they wish - to follow you in a prayer to receive Jesus. In this way no "pressure" is put on the children, and it will be their own decision, without being influenced by their friends.
This is how I usually invite children to receive Christ.
I show and explain John 1.12 "To all who received him, He gave the right to become children of God.", stressing the need to receive God's gift of Jesus if we are to become part of His family. I then teach them four simple steps they can take to do this A, B, C, D. I use a folded card which I gradually unfold to show one word at a time as shown below.
Admit
Believe
Consider
Do
Thus, A stands for Admit. We need to Admit we have done bad things, and be willing to turn away from everything we know is wrong in our lives.
B stands for Believe. We need to Believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and died on the cross in our place, so that we could be forgiven.
C Stands for Consider. Something to think about. Jesus not only wants to be our Saviour and Friend, He also wants to be Lord of our lives. That means He wants us to put Him first, and live to please Him rather than ourselves. Some people aren't willing to do that, but if you are, you are ready to move onto the final step.
D Stands for Do. We have to invite Him to come into our lives to be our Saviour, Friend and Lord. If we do (and really mean it) we can be certain that He will come in.
Before leading the children in prayer, I will often say at this point :-
"There are probably four groups of people here -
1. Those of you who have already received Jesus. Wonderful, there is no need for you to pray, as once you receive Him, He stays with you forever.
2. Those who haven't received Jesus, but have now considered it, and would like to. You can pray my prayer after me.
3. Those who are still unsure. That's alright. There is no need for you to pray.
4. Those who once received Jesus, but you know you haven't really been putting Him first, and would like to come back to Jesus again. Or perhaps you are not sure if you have ever received Jesus or not. You can all join in my prayer as well, and then you will be sure."
I then lead the children in a simple prayer along the A B C D lines.
Afterwards, I stress that they are now part of God's family, not because of how they may feel, but because God says so " To all who receive Him - - - - - ."
I then ask the children to do two important things. :-
1. Tell at least one other person what they have done.
2. Come and ask me for a booklet (have one on show) that will help them to live for Jesus. There are plenty of suitable booklets about, but I use "Special to God" obtainable from www.kidsreach.org.nz
O.L. 8. Receiving Jesus.
All you need for this illustration is a small gift. I usually make a balloon animal (as the gift) while I am talking about it.
State that John 3.16 talks about a giver (God), a gift (Jesus) and a receiver (Us). No matter how wonderful any gift is, it will not do you any good unless you receive it. I have a gift here (produce or begin to make your gift), but unless you receive it, it is no good to you at all.
Some of you may say "I don't want your gift" Well, if you don't want it, you won't get it, because I will not force you to take it.
Some of you may say "I don't believe it. It's too good to be true. Teacher must be tricking us." Well, if you don't believe it, you can't receive it.
Some of you may say " I will think about it" There is nothing wrong in thinking about the gift, but all the time you are thinking about it, it is not yours and it is not doing you any good.
Some of you may say. " I will have to earn the gift. I will have to sit up straight, be really quiet and still, and then perhaps "teacher" will notice me and give me the gift because I deserve it." Well, I like you behaving that way, but that's not the way to get the gift because it can never be earned.
But one of you may simply say to himself / herself " Yes, I want that gift," and get up, walk out to the front, take hold of the gift, and it will be theirs.
It is exactly the same with God's gift of Jesus Christ to the world - and the Eternal Life He brings with him.
Some people say to God "I don't want your gift of Jesus. I want to live my own life, go my own way, do my own thing." Much as God still loves them (they are still part of the world) He won't force His gift of Jesus on anyone. We must choose to receive Him.
Some people say. "I don't believe in the gift. I don't believe in Jesus. I don't even believe in God." Well, if you don't believe, you can't receive.
Some people say. "I will think about the gift. Perhaps when I am older I might receive God's gift." There is nothing wrong with thinking about the gift, but the problem is many people never make up their minds, and so always miss out on what God wants to give them.
Some people ( in fact most people ) think they have to earn God's gift. They say. " I will have to be very good. I will not have to do anything bad. I will have to go to Church or Sunday school every week. I will have to say my prayers and read my Bible every day. Then, perhaps, God will be really pleased with me and give me His gift of Jesus." These are good things to do, but you can never earn God's gift.
But some people say "Yes, I want to receive Jesus into my life," and do so by faith - by simply asking God for His gift of Jesus, and believing that they receive Him.
At this point, you will probably still be holding your gift - unless there is someone very smart in your group who has taken you at your word and received it already! You will probably have to keep prompting until someone comes out and receives it. You could say:-
"Well, it is still here."
"I wonder who will be first to believe me. All you have to do is take it."
"You won't get it by thinking about it, or by sitting up straight, but someone could come out and receive it."
When someone receives your gift, state that they didn't deserve it or earn it, but they got it because they were the first to believe that all they had to do was take it.
Conclude by stating that unfortunately you only had one gift, but the good news is that there is enough of God's gift of Jesus for everyone. There is no need for anyone to miss out.
If appropriate, you could then lead your group in a prayer to receive Jesus.
Young children and salvation.
The following article was recently posted on the Sunday School Teachers Network ( www.sundayschoolnetwork.com ). It contains many helpful insights.
I have worked in children's ministry in a variety of capacities for over
25 years. I have also wrestled with this question. I am very careful in
leading a child to Christ. Sarah's counsel is very good. All children
are different. For example, I was very shy as a child. I had difficulty
verbalizing what I was thinking and feeling. I wanted with all my heart
to be saved all week long at VBS. It wasn't until the very last day that
anyone gave an invitation. And since I didn't know how, I needed that
invitation. Therefore, I always, as much as possible, lead a basic
sinner's prayer every time I minister to children in a group setting.
That way, I model the prayer. It is in the child's court, so to speak.
Once when I did that, unknown to me, a visiting child prayed to receive
Christ. Her aunt told me later how excited the girl was to tell her about
it on the way home. Wow! You never know! I think sometimes in our
exuberance to lead a child to the Lord, we jump in too quickly when we are
"one-on-one" with the child. Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is critical.
It is often easy to get children to agree with you. Maybe it is a child
starving for attention or acceptance. They may pray just to please you or
to "buy" your affirmation. Of course, they will not understand that they
are doing that, but the affect is the same. I want to see a child that is
showing signs of spiritual desire-they raise their hand, come to see you,
show understanding and interest when you talk to them. In this case, when
I am finished the prayer, while the child's eyes are still closed, I will
say something like, "God knows our hearts. He knows when we really mean
what we say or if we're just pretending (or just saying words). If you
really mean it in your heart when you asked Jesus to forgive you and to be
your Savior, then He will be your Friend forever. He will never leave
you." If they have come to me, but are not really "with me"-maybe they
are easily distracted, or if I sense that they are just doing a "religious
thing" then I will pray with them that they will understand how very much
God loves them and wants to take away the sin in their hearts and give
them a clean heart and be their Forever Friend. Then after the prayer, I
will affirm them and say that I hope they will think about God and His
love, or that I hope they will decide to choose Jesus as their Forever
Friend. In other words, I will plant a seed and give them the tools, but
I won't push for a salvation prayer. Absolutely have a children's Gospel
track to place in their hands. I have seen a lot through the years, and I
have been very careful about the Lord's admonition not to cause a little
one to stumble. I believe that leading a child who is not ready, and then
pronouncing him/her as "saved" is a serious thing. I'm not trying to get
notches on my belt for the sake of numbers. Yet, I have seen this done
many times. Children can easily walk away thinking they have said the
"magic words" to make them a Christian. On the other hand, I have also
seen that children may come to the teacher several times and say that they
want to be saved. Often the teacher will tell them that if they've
already prayed and asked Jesus to be their Savior that they don't need to
ask Him again and again. Jesus is always with them. Of course this is a
theological issue, whether one believes that you can lose your salvation
or once saved always saved. But for children, I believe we can look at it
a little differently. If a child shows signs of understanding and has
sincerely prayed for salvation, we can assure him/her that Jesus is her
"Forever Friend" that Jesus will never leave. But in our walk with the
Lord, we come to new levels. When I was first in Bible College, I noted
how many young students would come forward for salvation at the beginning
of every school year. I sometimes have felt that way. I think we come to
a new revelation of who God is in our lives and we feel like we never
really new Him before. We feel like we need to ask Him in all over
again. That doesn't mean we were never saved before. It just means we
understand more deeply now. And that was what was happening to many of
those new Bible school students. If a child returns to the teacher every
week because they think they've been bad during the week and are afraid
Jesus doesn't love him any more, we can assure them that Jesus loves them
when they've done bad, but that they need to ask forgiveness and lead
accordingly. If a child persists this way, some more teaching may be
necessary. But if a child that has professed to be saved for some length
of time, comes to you and asks for salvation again, I see no harm in
leading that child in prayer again. I can't imagine picturing God
crossing his arms in displeasure because the child is asking more than
once. Rather, I believe God delights in His children and call us to new
levels over and over again. I know this response has been long, but it
touches some key issues in leading little ones to the Jesus.
Hope it has been helpful.
Terri
Contents,
Fundamental Beliefs 2. Is Jesus really God?
Teaching tip 7. Use of Ventriloquism to teach class rules.
Teaching tip 8. Leading children to Christ.
Young children and salvation. By Terri.
Fundamental Beliefs. 2. Is Jesus really God?
The belief that Jesus Christ is the God-Man, i.e. completely God and completely human in one Person is the basis of the Christian faith. Most people believe that Jesus was human, but many doubt His deity. So why then do we believe that Jesus is God Himself? Here are a number of reasons.
1. His egocentric claims. The self-centredness of Christ's teaching marks Him out from other religious teachers. He clearly thought of Himself as distinct from man and one with God.
a. Intimacy with God. Jesus made some astounding claims. For example He said, "I and the Father are one." (John 10.30). and "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." (John 14.9). Jesus also called Himself the 'Son of God.' In those days the word 'son' implied 'the same as' rather than 'dependent upon' or 'derived from' as it does today. This oneness that Jesus claimed with God was both unique and eternal (John 8.58).
b. Authority over men. Jesus did not think or speak of Himself as an ordinary man among men. He set Himself apart from the rest of mankind and claimed authority over them - to teach about God (Matthew 7.28,29) - to call men to Himself (Matthew 7.24-27; 10.37) thus making Himself the object of their faith, love and obedience - to forgive repentant sinners (Mark 2.5) - to judge the unrepentant (Matthew 7.21-23, Matthew 25.31-33).
Faced with these claims we cannot dismiss Jesus as just a good man or a great teacher. He was either deluded, a liar or divine. As C.S. Lewis put it "Jesus was either mad, bad or God."
2. His balanced and humble conduct. Jesus did not behave like a person with delusions His character confirms His claims. Consider this paradox:-
His claims sound like a madman's, yet his conduct was poised and balanced.
His teaching appears proud, ("I am - - - the way, the truth and the life - - - the bread of life - - - the light of the world - - - the resurrection and the life") yet He was humble.
His words were thoroughly self-centred ("Come to me - - - ") yet His deeds were absolutely unselfcentred.
This combination of egocentricity and humility is unparalled in the history of the world.
3. His divine works. The miraculous works that Jesus did do not prove His divine nature, but they are in accordance with it, and support His claims that He is God.
4. His bodily resurrection. The evidence for the resurrection of Jesus was considered in the last Newsletter (No. 20). His resurrection - like His divine works - do not prove His deity, but it is in accordance with it.
5. The claims of scripture. The scriptures clearly portray Jesus as God. Some passages (e.g. John 1.1-3 and Colossians 1.15-19) cannot explained apart from the deity of Christ.
Summary. The 'acid test' of Christianity stands or falls on the position we give to Jesus Christ. If Jesus is not God, then His death on the cross cannot possibly bring salvation to us. If He is God, His coming to earth, and supremely His death and resurrection is, for every person, by far the most important event in the history of mankind.
Teaching tip 7. Use of Ventriloquism to teach class rules.
I have taught many different classes over the last ten years, and the general group behaviour has varied considerably. Fortunately, today, most of my classes are fairly well behaved. However, even for the well behaved classes, I think it advisable to have a few simple rules. That way the children will know and understand when their behaviour is unacceptable. Having class rules is also a good introduction to teaching on God’s rules (e.g. the Ten Commandments).
Note. Many teachers do not use Ventriloquism in their classes because they are not 'experts', and fear the children will notice their lips moving. Don't worry! If you have good material ( and One way street www.onewaystreet.com have some excellent scripts), the children won't mind if your lips are moving, and will love it anyway.
Paul Anglemyer has posted an interesting skit ‘The Rules’ on the Children’s Ministry Today ‘Vault’ (www.childrensministry.org) for teaching class rules using a Ventriloquist’s doll. I have adapted and expanded on this skit for my own classes using my Ventriloquist’s doll ‘George’. I proceed as follows.
Write out your ‘Kool’ Rules and display them prominently.
Kool Rules.
1. Be quiet.
2. Don’t be a space invader.
3. Stay seated.
4. HAVE FUN.
Self. George, I want you to teach these children our four ‘Kool Rules’. Can you remember the first one?
George (Excited). Yes, I remember, I remember. The first rule is Everyone Shut up, Shut up, Shut up.
Self. George, it’s rude to say ‘Shut up.’ But we do want the children to be quiet while I or any other Leader is talking. That way, everyone will be able to hear what is being said. If anyone wants to say something, they need to put up their hand. Then I may, or may not, ask them to speak. But at all other times they need to be quiet.
George. That is what I said. Everyone Shut up, Shut up, Shut up.
Self. Alright, I think they understand the first rule. Now, do you remember the second Kool rule?
George (Excited). Yes, I remember. The second rule is:- No punching. No kicking. No fighting. No pinching. No spitting. No scratching. No biting. And No Kissing.
Self. I wouldn’t have put it quite like that, but we do want the children not to be space invaders. Everyone must respect other people’s space. So you need to keep your hands, feet and other parts of your body to yourselves. Now George, do you remember the third Kool rule?
George. Yes, the third rule is ‘Stay seated.’
Self. That’s exactly right.
George. I know how we can make them all stay seated.
Self. How?
George. Super glue. We stick them all to the floor or their chairs with Super glue. That way, they won’t be able to get up!
Self. That’s no good George. There may be times when we want them to get up to do something.
George. No Super glue?
Self. No Super glue. But I think they will remember that rule. Now George, I am sure you remember the last and most important Rule of all?
George. Mmmmm. I’ve forgotten.
Self. Come on George, try harder.
George. Mmmmm. Oh yes, now I remember. The last rule is No fun.
Self. No fun?
George. That’s right. No fun. Nobody is allowed to have fun.
Self. No George, it’s the opposite of that. The last rule is Have fun. Everybody has to have fun.
George. Everybody has to have fun?
Self. Yes, that’s the rule. Everybody has to have fun.
George. I don’t like the sound of that. What happens if somebody doesn’t have fun?
Self. But they have to have fun. That’s the rule.
George. But suppose somebody isn’t having fun. What happens to them?
Self. Tell me George, are you having fun?
George. No, I am not.
Self. Then this is what happens to someone who is not having fun. (George is quietly put away into his case)!
Poor old George. I don’t think he likes our last rule. But we aren’t given rules so that we will like them. We are given rules so that we will keep (or obey) them.
We get rules from many different sources. God has given us rules to live by, and these can be found in the Bible. The Government gives us rules, about things like paying our taxes or crossing the road. You have rules at school, and I am sure you have rules at home – things you can or cannot do. Some rules you probably like, and some you don’t. The most important thing to remember about rules – no matter where they come from – is that they are not given to us to spoil our fun. Rather they are given to us for our own benefit and protection. If we keep the rules, we are not likely to hurt ourselves or others.
Now, lets all say together our four Kool rules. But you have to shout the last one out, to make sure that George hears it!
Teaching tip 8. Leading children to Christ.
Leading a child to Christ is an awesome privilege and responsibility. Unfortunately, in their natural zeal to see children make a commitment to Christ some teachers may try to lead a child to the Lord before he/she is really ready. Conversely, other teachers may always "leave it to someone else" and so may miss God-given opportunities to help children into the Kingdom.
Obviously opportunities should be given for children to receive Christ, but I believe "appeals" should not be made too often, or the children may become hardened to them and not treat them seriously. I believe appeals should be reserved for "special occasions" when time can be taken to ensure that each child is made aware of what salvation really is, and of the importance of the decision they are being asked to make. Much prayer, wisdom and God's guidance is needed in knowing both the right time and method best suited for the child or children in question. ( I often use my Object Lesson No. 8 (Receiving Jesus) when teaching on Salvation. I will paste it on below for the benefit of the newer readers).
I have been in many children's meetings where the Leader has given an invitation for anyone to accept Christ by raising their hands or coming out to the front. There is absolutely nothing wrong with encouraging children to make a Public commitment, but usually in my experience what happens is either nobody responds or they all (or nearly all) do! This is because children are very much influenced by their peers. A child may wish to respond to Christ, but if none of their friends raise their hands, they will probably not do so either. Conversely, a child may not be ready to receive Christ, but if they see their friends going to the front, they don't want to be the odd one out, and are likely to follow them.
In a group situation, I believe the best way to make an appeal is by inviting the children - if they wish - to follow you in a prayer to receive Jesus. In this way no "pressure" is put on the children, and it will be their own decision, without being influenced by their friends.
This is how I usually invite children to receive Christ.
I show and explain John 1.12 "To all who received him, He gave the right to become children of God.", stressing the need to receive God's gift of Jesus if we are to become part of His family. I then teach them four simple steps they can take to do this A, B, C, D. I use a folded card which I gradually unfold to show one word at a time as shown below.
Admit
Believe
Consider
Do
Thus, A stands for Admit. We need to Admit we have done bad things, and be willing to turn away from everything we know is wrong in our lives.
B stands for Believe. We need to Believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and died on the cross in our place, so that we could be forgiven.
C Stands for Consider. Something to think about. Jesus not only wants to be our Saviour and Friend, He also wants to be Lord of our lives. That means He wants us to put Him first, and live to please Him rather than ourselves. Some people aren't willing to do that, but if you are, you are ready to move onto the final step.
D Stands for Do. We have to invite Him to come into our lives to be our Saviour, Friend and Lord. If we do (and really mean it) we can be certain that He will come in.
Before leading the children in prayer, I will often say at this point :-
"There are probably four groups of people here -
1. Those of you who have already received Jesus. Wonderful, there is no need for you to pray, as once you receive Him, He stays with you forever.
2. Those who haven't received Jesus, but have now considered it, and would like to. You can pray my prayer after me.
3. Those who are still unsure. That's alright. There is no need for you to pray.
4. Those who once received Jesus, but you know you haven't really been putting Him first, and would like to come back to Jesus again. Or perhaps you are not sure if you have ever received Jesus or not. You can all join in my prayer as well, and then you will be sure."
I then lead the children in a simple prayer along the A B C D lines.
Afterwards, I stress that they are now part of God's family, not because of how they may feel, but because God says so " To all who receive Him - - - - - ."
I then ask the children to do two important things. :-
1. Tell at least one other person what they have done.
2. Come and ask me for a booklet (have one on show) that will help them to live for Jesus. There are plenty of suitable booklets about, but I use "Special to God" obtainable from www.kidsreach.org.nz
O.L. 8. Receiving Jesus.
All you need for this illustration is a small gift. I usually make a balloon animal (as the gift) while I am talking about it.
State that John 3.16 talks about a giver (God), a gift (Jesus) and a receiver (Us). No matter how wonderful any gift is, it will not do you any good unless you receive it. I have a gift here (produce or begin to make your gift), but unless you receive it, it is no good to you at all.
Some of you may say "I don't want your gift" Well, if you don't want it, you won't get it, because I will not force you to take it.
Some of you may say "I don't believe it. It's too good to be true. Teacher must be tricking us." Well, if you don't believe it, you can't receive it.
Some of you may say " I will think about it" There is nothing wrong in thinking about the gift, but all the time you are thinking about it, it is not yours and it is not doing you any good.
Some of you may say. " I will have to earn the gift. I will have to sit up straight, be really quiet and still, and then perhaps "teacher" will notice me and give me the gift because I deserve it." Well, I like you behaving that way, but that's not the way to get the gift because it can never be earned.
But one of you may simply say to himself / herself " Yes, I want that gift," and get up, walk out to the front, take hold of the gift, and it will be theirs.
It is exactly the same with God's gift of Jesus Christ to the world - and the Eternal Life He brings with him.
Some people say to God "I don't want your gift of Jesus. I want to live my own life, go my own way, do my own thing." Much as God still loves them (they are still part of the world) He won't force His gift of Jesus on anyone. We must choose to receive Him.
Some people say. "I don't believe in the gift. I don't believe in Jesus. I don't even believe in God." Well, if you don't believe, you can't receive.
Some people say. "I will think about the gift. Perhaps when I am older I might receive God's gift." There is nothing wrong with thinking about the gift, but the problem is many people never make up their minds, and so always miss out on what God wants to give them.
Some people ( in fact most people ) think they have to earn God's gift. They say. " I will have to be very good. I will not have to do anything bad. I will have to go to Church or Sunday school every week. I will have to say my prayers and read my Bible every day. Then, perhaps, God will be really pleased with me and give me His gift of Jesus." These are good things to do, but you can never earn God's gift.
But some people say "Yes, I want to receive Jesus into my life," and do so by faith - by simply asking God for His gift of Jesus, and believing that they receive Him.
At this point, you will probably still be holding your gift - unless there is someone very smart in your group who has taken you at your word and received it already! You will probably have to keep prompting until someone comes out and receives it. You could say:-
"Well, it is still here."
"I wonder who will be first to believe me. All you have to do is take it."
"You won't get it by thinking about it, or by sitting up straight, but someone could come out and receive it."
When someone receives your gift, state that they didn't deserve it or earn it, but they got it because they were the first to believe that all they had to do was take it.
Conclude by stating that unfortunately you only had one gift, but the good news is that there is enough of God's gift of Jesus for everyone. There is no need for anyone to miss out.
If appropriate, you could then lead your group in a prayer to receive Jesus.
Young children and salvation.
The following article was recently posted on the Sunday School Teachers Network ( www.sundayschoolnetwork.com ). It contains many helpful insights.
I have worked in children's ministry in a variety of capacities for over
25 years. I have also wrestled with this question. I am very careful in
leading a child to Christ. Sarah's counsel is very good. All children
are different. For example, I was very shy as a child. I had difficulty
verbalizing what I was thinking and feeling. I wanted with all my heart
to be saved all week long at VBS. It wasn't until the very last day that
anyone gave an invitation. And since I didn't know how, I needed that
invitation. Therefore, I always, as much as possible, lead a basic
sinner's prayer every time I minister to children in a group setting.
That way, I model the prayer. It is in the child's court, so to speak.
Once when I did that, unknown to me, a visiting child prayed to receive
Christ. Her aunt told me later how excited the girl was to tell her about
it on the way home. Wow! You never know! I think sometimes in our
exuberance to lead a child to the Lord, we jump in too quickly when we are
"one-on-one" with the child. Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is critical.
It is often easy to get children to agree with you. Maybe it is a child
starving for attention or acceptance. They may pray just to please you or
to "buy" your affirmation. Of course, they will not understand that they
are doing that, but the affect is the same. I want to see a child that is
showing signs of spiritual desire-they raise their hand, come to see you,
show understanding and interest when you talk to them. In this case, when
I am finished the prayer, while the child's eyes are still closed, I will
say something like, "God knows our hearts. He knows when we really mean
what we say or if we're just pretending (or just saying words). If you
really mean it in your heart when you asked Jesus to forgive you and to be
your Savior, then He will be your Friend forever. He will never leave
you." If they have come to me, but are not really "with me"-maybe they
are easily distracted, or if I sense that they are just doing a "religious
thing" then I will pray with them that they will understand how very much
God loves them and wants to take away the sin in their hearts and give
them a clean heart and be their Forever Friend. Then after the prayer, I
will affirm them and say that I hope they will think about God and His
love, or that I hope they will decide to choose Jesus as their Forever
Friend. In other words, I will plant a seed and give them the tools, but
I won't push for a salvation prayer. Absolutely have a children's Gospel
track to place in their hands. I have seen a lot through the years, and I
have been very careful about the Lord's admonition not to cause a little
one to stumble. I believe that leading a child who is not ready, and then
pronouncing him/her as "saved" is a serious thing. I'm not trying to get
notches on my belt for the sake of numbers. Yet, I have seen this done
many times. Children can easily walk away thinking they have said the
"magic words" to make them a Christian. On the other hand, I have also
seen that children may come to the teacher several times and say that they
want to be saved. Often the teacher will tell them that if they've
already prayed and asked Jesus to be their Savior that they don't need to
ask Him again and again. Jesus is always with them. Of course this is a
theological issue, whether one believes that you can lose your salvation
or once saved always saved. But for children, I believe we can look at it
a little differently. If a child shows signs of understanding and has
sincerely prayed for salvation, we can assure him/her that Jesus is her
"Forever Friend" that Jesus will never leave. But in our walk with the
Lord, we come to new levels. When I was first in Bible College, I noted
how many young students would come forward for salvation at the beginning
of every school year. I sometimes have felt that way. I think we come to
a new revelation of who God is in our lives and we feel like we never
really new Him before. We feel like we need to ask Him in all over
again. That doesn't mean we were never saved before. It just means we
understand more deeply now. And that was what was happening to many of
those new Bible school students. If a child returns to the teacher every
week because they think they've been bad during the week and are afraid
Jesus doesn't love him any more, we can assure them that Jesus loves them
when they've done bad, but that they need to ask forgiveness and lead
accordingly. If a child persists this way, some more teaching may be
necessary. But if a child that has professed to be saved for some length
of time, comes to you and asks for salvation again, I see no harm in
leading that child in prayer again. I can't imagine picturing God
crossing his arms in displeasure because the child is asking more than
once. Rather, I believe God delights in His children and call us to new
levels over and over again. I know this response has been long, but it
touches some key issues in leading little ones to the Jesus.
Hope it has been helpful.
Terri
posted by Maurice Sweetsur @ 1:59 AM
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