One of the greatest privileges of serving in VBS is to help
children become members of God's family. Some children,
especially those from Christian homes, may be ready to believe
in Jesus Christ as their Savior earlier than others. Keep in
mind that children think in literal terms and have limited
understanding of abstract ideas. They have not yet matured to
the point where they always follow through on their intentions
and commitments. Therefore, they need thoughtful, patient
guidance from loving Christian adults who can help them come to
know Christ personally and continue to grow in Him.
The booklet "God Loves You!" shares with children the basic
steps on how to become God's child.
• Pray: Pray for each child in your class by name!
Ask God to prepare each one to understand and receive the
good news about Jesus and prepare you to effectively
communicate with them.
• Present the Good News: Use words and phrases
that students understand. Avoid symbolism that will confuse
these literal-minded thinkers. Discuss these points slowly
enough to allow time for thinking and comprehending.
a. "God wants you to become His child. Do you know
why God wants you in His family?" (See 1 John 4:8.)
b. "You and I and every person in the world have done
wrong things. The Bible word for doing wrong is 'sin.'
What do you think should happen to us when we sin?" (See
Romans 6:23.)
c. "God loves you so much, He sent His Son to die on
the cross for your sin. Because Jesus never sinned, He
is the only one who can take the punishment for your
sin." (See 1 Corinthians 15:3; 1 John 4:14.)
d. "Are you sorry for your sin? Tell God that you
are. Do you believe Jesus died to take the punishment
for your sin? If you tell God you are sorry for your sin
and tell Him you do believe and accept Jesus' death to
take away your sin-God forgives all your sin." (See John
1:12.)
e. "The Bible says that when you believe in Jesus,
God's Son, you receive God's gift of eternal life. This
gift makes you a child of God. (See John 3:16.) This
means God is with you now and forever."
Note: The Bible uses many terms and images to express
the concept of salvation. Children often do not
understand or may develop misconceptions about these
terms, especially terms that are highly symbolic. Many
people talk with children about "asking Jesus into your
heart." The literal-minded child is likely to develop
strange ideas from the imagery of those words. The idea
of being a child of God (see John 1:12) is perhaps the
simplest portrayal the New Testament provides.
• Talk personally with the child: Talking about
salvation one-on-one creates opportunity to ask and answer
questions. Ask questions that move the child beyond simple
"yes" or "no" answers or recitation of memorized
information. Ask "what-do-you-think?" kinds of questions
such as:
"Why do you think it's important to...?"
"What are some things you really like about Jesus?"
"Why do you think that Jesus had to die because of
wrong things you and I have done?"
"What difference do you think it makes for a person
to be forgiven?"
Answers to these open-ended questions will help you
discern how much the child does or does not understand.
• Give time to think and pray: There is great
value in encouraging a child to think and pray about what
you have said before making a response. Also allow moments
for quiet thinking about the questions you ask.
• Offer opportunities without pressure: Children
are vulnerable to being manipulated by adults. A good way to
guard against coercing a child's response is to simply pause
periodically and ask, "Would you like to hear more about
this now or at another time?" Loving acceptance of the
child, even when he or she is not fully interested in
pursuing the matter, is crucial in building and maintaining
positive attitudes toward becoming part of God's family.
If a child prays with you to become a member of God's
family, encourage the child to tell his or her parents about
the decision. Give your pastor and the child's Sunday School
teacher the child's name. Boys and girls who make decisions
need to be followed up to help them grow in Christ.
For additional information about leading a child to
Christ read the "Salvation and the Young Child" article on
pp. 114-115 in VBS Smart Pages published by Gospel Light.
Reference: This page is from "My VBS for Raleigh Chinese Christian
Church" provided by Gospel Light (publisher for VBS 2004 Theme SonGames).
Gospel Light
1957 Eastman Ave., Ventura, CA 93003-8085
1-800-4-GOSPEL
www.gospellight.com
Outside the US 805-644-9721