How to Lead Children in the Faith

I learned all I needed to know about how to lead children in the faith by watching animal documentaries.

Okay, that is not entirely true. But watching Animal Planet and National Geographic will tell you a lot about how to lead children.

Spoiler alert: It involves action and not words.

Even the cute animal videos my social media serves me up emphasize this point. My favorite one from this past week involved a momma elephant teaching a baby elephant how to climb down a slope to a pond. The momma elephant gently lowered her back legs and then carefully placed one front foot at a time on the lower ground. She looked back, encouraging the baby elephant to do the same. The baby elephant started off kneeling down carefully and then proceeded to slide and tumble down the slope. He then popped up on his feet and gave a wave of his trunk as if to say, “Nailed it!” 

Lead Children in the Faith with Actions

This imperfect repetition is all too familiar for us who live with or work with children. But notice what did not happen. The momma did not tell the baby elephant how to go down the slope while watching him from behind. No. She got in front of him and lead him with her actions. Mom did what she wanted him to do first and then encouraged him to follow her lead. 

 

When I think back on my life, the people who really influenced my walk with Christ did the same thing. Sure, I am glad my first-grade Sunday School teacher told me to memorize the 23rd Psalm. I can still recite it exactly as I learned it then forty years later. But how she really formed me as a young disciple was by showing me how to live. She taught me by being faithful, by acting with grace, and by showing love. As I watched her walk with Jesus on the path ahead of me, I learned how to walk with Jesus as well.

One of the joys of my life was moving back to my hometown and getting to know this woman who once guided me as a child through an adult lens. To my great joy, she was still as wonderful as ever. Still as faithful, still as gracious, still loving. 

I know I am the person I am today because I had dozens of adults in my life like this when I was a child. People who showed me how to love God and love others by the actions of their daily lives. Watching them as we worshiped together on Sunday mornings, as we packed groceries from our church food pantry every week, as we cared for the elderly in our church, and as they cared for me was a powerful lesson.

Being a Leader of Children

Not everyone gets the blessing of a childhood filled with everyday saints as I did. But everyone does have the opportunity to bless a child in their life right now. Whether you are a parent, a teacher, a church volunteer, or a really great aunt or uncle, there is a child in your life who is watching you. Now don’t let this overwhelm you. Being aware of our children’s eyes on us doesn’t mean we should be afraid to ever make a mistake. On the contrary! How we handle our mistakes is another great opportunity to teach our children. When we admit wrongdoing and ask for forgiveness, that is a powerful example of repentance and grace for our children.

Even when we try our best and don’t get things quite right, we teach our kids they don’t have to be perfect. Our worth is in God’s love for us, not something we earn by being good enough.

But we also have to opportunity to teach our children so much more. If you want to teach a child to have a servant’s heart, bring them along with you while you serve others. Let them help as they can. Since my husband and I are passionate about alleviating hunger, we found opportunities to help with hunger programs where we could bring our children along. From the time they could carry a pitcher, they were filling water glasses at a local church’s weekend feeding program. When they got a little older we would pack bags of food together with our town’s backpack buddies program and deliver them to a local low-income daycare. Sure our kids complained sometimes. When they were middle schoolers, they complained a lot! However, as young adults, they now understand the importance of caring for those around us whose bellies go hungry.

Now multiply this example times the dozens of lessons you want to pass on to our children: how to value and study God’s word, how to make good choices even when it is hard, how to spend time with God regularly in prayer, and so many more. The best way we can encourage our children in any one of these areas is to let them see us do it first.

Let them see you read the Bible. Let them watch you decide how to make a hard choice to do the right thing. Let them watch you pray.

Even better spend time leading them in prayer. And then let them take a turn leading you in prayer! For young people learn not only by watching but by doing.

Practice Makes Better

And the truth is, young people learn by doing things over and over again. Just like that baby elephant didn’t actually nail going down the slope on his first try, it will take time and practice for our children to learn how to be a follower of Jesus. So if we really want to teach them something about faith, we will make it a habit, a ritual. Whether this is saying grace every time you eat a meal or having a time of devotion together each day, repeated actions together make an impact over time. When we practice sharing our gifts every Sunday or reaching out to the needy as a church once a month, the impact of a group of people doing the same thing over and over again will make a difference.

So yes, when we lead a child in the ways of God, they will follow them. But let us make sure we are leading with our actions as well as our words. And better yet, live out the values of our faith regularly with our children, letting them take turns to lead you as well. For if you are like me, our children have much to teach you.