Charles Spurgeon once said, “Begin early to teach, for children begin early to sin.” This giant of the pulpit, who preached the Word of God to thousands of people each week, was also known for his heart for instructing children in the Biblical gospel. For Mr Spurgeon, ministering the gospel to a child was just as important as sharing the good news with an adult.
I doubt many within the wider evangelical scene would argue against such views. We know that children’s ministry is vital, but there is debate about how best to go about such an important endeavour.
My concern is that we often underestimate children and, in an effort to be relevant and fun, we dumb down the gospel and end up losing Biblical truth. If you had to take medicine, you wouldn’t water it down, because by doing so it would lose its curative properties. Likewise, when we come to children, we need to make sure we don’t water down the Biblical gospel. Instead of teaching the truth, we can end up proclaiming a message that is so weakened that very little, if any, saving truth remains.
A responsibility to welcome
During the early summer months, many churches see an increase in attendance from families hoping to secure a place at …