There are currently 4 children at my church that are asking questions about entering a relationship with Jesus.
All of these children live in homes where one or more of their parents are not believers.
Sarah is in 5th grade and lives in the neighborhood. She walks to our church each week. Her parents do not attend. I will probably end up going to their house and meeting them and try to share the Gospel with them at their home.
Julia's parents drop her off at church but do not attend.
Jason came to our church with a friend. He has started attending regularly and is asking questions about what it means to follow Jesus. I will be meeting with his mother and he on Thursday to share the Gospel with them. Praying they will both come to Christ.
Hannah is brought to our church by her grandmother, but her parents do not attend.
My prayer is always that the entire family would come to Christ. I'll share with you my approach for these children and their families.
I will not be praying a salvation prayer with the kids on their own. Rather I will be looking for an opportunity to share the Gospel with the entire family.
I am sitting down with each of these families and sharing the Gospel with the child and their parents. I have a class that I use for this. It is called Starting Point. No drop offs. Kids must attend this class with their parents. I have seen God use this to reach hundreds of families over the past 8 years.
You can get more information about the Starting Point class at this link.
Always be thinking about parents. Remember this.
When you reach a child you change a life. When you reach parents you change an entire family.
I believe God wants us to reach multiple generations. I remember one time I baptized 3 generations at one time. Grandfather got baptized. Father got baptized. Son got baptized. It all started with the child coming to Jesus.
I think about the jailer in Acts 16. Read this passage and be inspired.
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 And the jailer[a] called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.
What an amazing happening. A whole family came to Christ together.
I believe God can still save entire families. I've seen Him do it time and time again.
May God continue to make it so in all of our churches.
