The children's talk

Giving the children's talk in the main church service can be a grim or awesome responsibility and even a mini-ordeal for some . . .

Especially in your own church, week after week, and in front of your spouse, parents, children and grandchildren, possibly your fiercest critics!

Positively speaking, the children's talk can be a happy and telling part of the church service. Particularly if giving the talk is accepted as a privilege and a golden opportunity to teach or remind children of an important truth about God or themselves. And if the talk has been well prepared and prayed over, and you have confidence in its content, presentation and in the great God you serve.

Probably it is an advantage to be a parent or a grandparent, and perhaps an even greater advantage to be a teacher or someone dealing with children in your job. But equally probably we can all learn by following a few wise rules.

The 'dont's'

1. Don't be over-ambitious. Keep things short and simple if you can. Have a simple plan and keep to it as far as possible. Don't be deterred or distracted by any wrong answers or unexpected reactions.

2. Don't be over-long. Better a sweet, remembered 90-second 'talklet', than a rambling how-do-I-finish-this-talk of seven minutes.

3. Don't be over-complicated. Probably one main point, with time for open or subtle repetition, is enough for young children.

4. Don't be over-clever. It is the children we should concentrate on and if the talk is clear and simple and interesting for them, it will be listened to and appreciated by the adult congregation too.

5. Don't speak too quickly. Faith comes by hearing and understanding what is said.

6. Don't speak over the children's heads. Deal with situations they know of and can relate to. However, with TV and videos and the internet, this can be a very wide range of situations.

7. Don't use incomprehensible language or long sentences. If possible, keep to words of one or two syllables. Speak in colloquial English if you can, and, where appropriate, use the latest 'cool' words in the modern child's vocabulary.

8. Don't tie yourself to any notes you have made. Let any notes be your servant, not your master.

9. Don't scold or discourage anyone. If a child answers foolishly, say something like: 'Not quite the answer I'm looking for.'

10. Don't look too serious. A smile is worth 100 words, and shows the human face of the preacher. And, if your false teeth should drop out, make sure your laugh is the loudest!

Remember your childhood

All children (didn't you?) like a:

(a) story - true or imaginary
(b) puzzle or mystery
(c) visual aid they can understand (and perhaps handle)

Many children (were you one?) like to:

(a) volunteer to do something
(b) guess at something
(c) repeat something just heard or learned
(d) answer questions (but we should repeat aloud what a soft-spoken child says, so that all can keep up with the proceedings and benefit from what is said).

Let us build on these facts.

Where to go for material?

We go to the Bible - for a word or a proverb, for a verse or a passage, for a character or a doctrine, for a story or incident.

We go to everyday life around us. Let us spend time looking at children as they play or fight, listen to them talking, and quiz them to learn what interests them. Let us watch some of their favourite TV programmes, and decide why those programmes are so popular. Let us go from the known (e.g. a topical news item) to the unknown (the moral or spiritual lesson to be learned from that item).

Outlines of some talks:

1. One liquorice all-sorts box. Just like people, the sweets are different, all sorts, but they all have the black liquorice of sin in them. And Jesus came to die for us and our sins.

2. Two liquorice all-sorts boxes, one empty and one full. Both look the same on the outside, like two people calling themselves Christians. But inside they are completely different. One is empty like a hypocrite and the other is full of good things like a true Christian (Matthew 7.17-20).

3. Who will come and receive this 50p coin in my closed fist? Who believes me enough to come? 'You have had real faith - keep the coin!' (Mark 11.22; Hebrews 11.6).

4. (Holding your arms out wide) What time is this? Yes, a quarter to three. Jesus went about doing good, lending a helping hand to people in need. Let us follow him in this. (Holding hands together in prayer) What time is this? Yes, 12 o'clock. If Jesus prayed often, so must we.

5. This radio must be switched on with repentance, tuned to the right station with prayer, and its volume turned up loud and clear with trust and obedience!

6. This snowdrop is a humble, pure white, wee flower, yet strong enough to come up through the hard ground, as it points us to Easter and spring. What lessons for us here.

7. In ascending order of sadness and importance: the death of a bird, a pet, a person, the Son of God.

8. 'Always winter and never Christmas' - how terrible. But then Aslan the lion (Jesus) came back to Narnia (in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe), and brought spring and joy and deliverance to his people.

9. (Acting as blind Bartimaeus and shouting) 'Jesus have mercy on me . . . I'm coming, Jesus . . . Rabbi, I want to see', and finally joyfully following Jesus (Mark 10.46-52).

10. What does this sign 'X' mean? Yes, a times sign, a wrong sign, a kiss, St. Andrew's cross and also a vote in an election. Let us vote for the Lord Jesus and love him all our life!

Essentials?

They are:

(a) brevity,
(b) good teaching (or preaching),
(c) lively presentation,
(d) child participation.

Advice on giving a children's talk in the main church service