Why should we be equipping little saints? Christian kids should be exposed to as many areas of ministry as possible so by the time they’re adults they know exactly what they’re called to do and will be experienced at it. And I don’t mean ushering and running the sound equipment. I mean doing the works of Jesus that He said all believers can do.
By the time our children reach their teens they should be completely comfortable with the ability to hear God’s voice and be led by His Spirit so they can step into anything God calls them to do, because God has always called people in their childhood to do great things for Him. It maybe didn’t manifest until their adult years, but the call came in their pre-teenage years.
Equipping Little Saints Should be Normal
I’ve seen documentaries where doctors said they knew by the time they were ten years old they wanted to go into medicine. I heard an interview with Olympic star Carl Lewis who said at age five, he was already jumping the cracks in the sidewalk practicing to make his dream come true to become a gold medal winner in track and field.
Even my weatherman on a local TV station said he knew when he was only nine years old what he wanted to be a when he grew up! The 14th Dali Lama of Tibet, 82-year-old Tensin Gyatso, was crowned as spiritual leader at only five years of age. I’ve been told leaders of the Islamic religion often select little boys as young as two and three years old and mentor them all their days in the Islamic faith. The world seems to be miles ahead of us in this area. No wonder many of their young people are so insanely committed to their cause. It’s been bred into them since they were old enough to walk!
Equipping Little Saints on Top of the List
If it is true that the body of Christ needs to be equipped for the work of the ministry, children should be at the top of the list of potential trainees because they are so teachable and open to new ideas. They don’t argue doctrine with you, and resist leadership. They are not stuck in their ways, but are open, ready, and able to get in the trenches with us, in age-appropriate ways, to battle for the Kingdom.
If the world knows the value of mentoring such little ones, where should we be at as the body of Christ?
The work of the believers ministry is found in Mark 16:15-20 —
And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. 16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. 17 These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. 18 They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.” 19 When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 20 And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.
This is what spirit filled children’s ministry is all about and why we produce spirit filled children’s ministry curriculums for Pentecostal, charismatic, prophetic and apostolic children’s ministries.
Your thoughts? Please comment and share on social media.
(This is an excerpt from my book Redefining Children’s Ministry in the 21st Century. Here is a free sample chapter. Let me know what you think.)
The post Equipping the Little Saints appeared first on Kids in Ministry.
