I have long believed that one of the primary roles of children’s pastors is to expand the worldview of our kids. On a weekly basis we get to open their eyes to God’s way of thinking, and more importantly, His way of seeing the world. 

This isn’t surprising when we remember that Jesus changed everything. For this reason, we should be teaching our kids to see the world in a different way—through the filter and lens of Jesus.

One of my favorite things to do is to travel the world. I have been to ten countries so far, aside from England where I spent most my life. With each trip abroad I’m blown away at the diversity of God’s creation, not just in landscape, but people and culture. I’ve learned that as I’m exposed to new cultures, my picture of who God is grows and develops. 

We have a race problem in America. We may not feel comfortable with the bluntness of that, but it is true. Although it may not be evident in our everyday actions, we still face racism in people’s attitudes and the lack of opportunities afforded to certain groups in society. Whether we are willing to admit it or open our eyes to it, it doesn’t change the fact that it is there and it is felt by many across the nation. The scary part is how easily this way of thinking is passed from generation to generation.

As children’s leaders, we stand at a crossroads where we can continue to ignore it or we can eradicate it with the next generation. We have a responsibility to raise our kids’ worldview when it comes to race and diversity. 

Here are two ways we can bring diversity for our kids…

Expose kids to different people & cultures  

Different people will always bring different perspectives, and exposure to new things should always help our view of God develop. Why don’t you find an African American or South American to teach the lesson one week to your kids? Why don’t you teach about incredible African American Christians for Black history month? Every month for missions Sunday, we bring in a speaker from a country around the world to teach kids about their country. It’s amazing to see stereotypes disappear and kids’ eyes opened to what God is doing through and with ALL different kinds of people around the world.

Preach a gospel of reconciliation  

America is becoming more and more diverse. White Americans will soon not make up more than 50% of the population. This isn’t something to be sad about, it’s something to celebrate. However, in many small towns it’s still possible to lack racial diversity. This does make it difficult to expose kids to different people. However, we can all preach a gospel of reconciliation. We can all uphold the equality of all people. We can all preach how Jesus reconciled with the Samaritans and how God incorporated the Gentiles into His plan of salvation. We may not be able to expose our kids to different people, but we can be sure to address current issues in our messages and open our kids’ eyes to a different way of thinking.

Diversity isn’t something we stumble upon. It takes intentionality to bring reconciliation and healing. However, it is totally worth the effort as our picture of God grows and we get a glimpse of what it will be like in heaven when people of all nations stand together and worship Him. 

Check out these two blogs from John Hailes for more info and ideas…

A Diverse Church: http://www.jhailes.com/blog/2014/11/21/a-diverse-church

Addressing Racism in Kidmin: http://www.jhailes.com/blog/2014/12/11/addressing-racism