A child's dignity lies in the fact that she was created in the image of God, not in her future usefulness to the church or to society. She is not a potential human being, waiting to become fully human someday. She is already a full human being and possesses genuine spiritual capacity from a very early age. Psalm 8 and the account of John the Baptist, filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb (Luke 1:15), show that this spiritual capacity is not a symbolic concession but a reality presented in Scripture itself. From Augustine to Wesley, the Christian tradition has taken seriously the possibility of genuine faith in a young child, without treating it as a second-class faith.
That is why children's evangelism is urgent, strategic, and the responsibility of the whole church, not only of those with a particular gift or calling to work with children. Most people who decide to follow Christ make that decision early in life. Evangelizing a child, then, means contributing to the formation of an entire life, not merely leading someone to a one-time decision that will be celebrated and soon forgotten. Among the biblical aims of this evangelism are developing a personal relationship with Christ, building a solid spiritual foundation, and ongoing discipleship. After all, it is not the will of our heavenly Father that even one of these little ones should perish (Matt 18:14). In this process, however, there lies a great danger: mistaking the mechanical repetition of a prayer for genuine, understood faith.
The challenges of this task come both from outside, from the culture surrounding children, and from within, from the lack of proper preparation among those who teach them. All true preparation for evangelizing children, however, begins in the teacher's own heart, before any method or technique. Genuine communion with God, real love for the child, solid biblical knowledge, and emotional sensitivity form the four pillars of that preparation. Without them, even the best-crafted strategy loses its force.
Concrete strategies can make the communication of the gospel more accessible: well-told stories, songs, participatory activities, and visual resources such as the Wordless Book, which presents the gospel through simple, direct colors. None of these strategies, however, is sufficient on its own. Children's evangelism must be accompanied by ongoing discipleship and cannot end the moment a child repeats a prayer led by an adult. Jesus was clear: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 19:14). This is a direct invitation, with no intermediaries standing between the child and him.
Choose a specific child from your church or family and talk with her, showing that you truly take seriously the faith she already has, however simple it may seem. This week, also make yourself available to serve in Sunday school or another children's ministry at your church, even if only once, to see this reality up close. Then choose one of the strategies mentioned, a story, a song, a color, or a game, and prepare it carefully to use with a child in the coming days. Remember that, in this context, preparing yourself means placing heart, mind, and hands before God.
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