When you read these Scriptures below, do you believe (I mean really believe from the depths of your soul) that God can and will establish these spiritual truths in the lives of your kids?

• “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation” (Mark 16:15, NIV).
• “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8, NIV).
• “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people [yes, even kids]. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2:17, 21, NIV).

As Kidmin pastors and leaders, we know the facts about the capabilities of kids to achieve and to be bold in their faith. BUT too often we don’t believe it or demonstrate that our students can do all things through Christ who gives them strength (Philippians 4:13). Do you spend adequate time in your kids’ church and discipleship small groups challenging kids to be bold in their faith and to live out their beliefs before their friends and classmates?

I’ve had the privilege of traveling across the nation and challenging kids’ pastors and leaders to raise the bar of expectation for their kids to live out their faith. But through a simple survey process, I have consistently discovered that only 10 percent or less of the Kidmin leaders say they are consistently teaching their kids how to share their faith with others.

Raise the Bar

I remember well my first year in elementary school when all the first-grade classes got to participate in simple outdoor track activities. We had relay races and even a high jump competition. In the high jump competition, two students held a long bar as the other students jumped over it one at a time. Since we were just first graders, the bar was set extremely low at first to allow everyone to successfully jump over it. Then the bar was raised to a higher level to see who could jump over it again. The process became more difficult as the bar was raised, and eventually the competition came down to a handful of kids who could clear the bar. That was an easy and friendly level of competition that allowed everyone to succeed at first but only a few to win.

We want all our kids to win in life, but we apply the spiritual principles of winning in terms of our own human understanding. In kids’ church and in our discipleship small groups, we can and often do set the bar of expectation very low so that everyone can succeed. In the process of doing so, however, we may fail to understand what God wants to do in the lives of our kids, so we keep the bar of expectation too low and fail to challenge kids to believe they can do all things through Christ.

Do you believe (and put into practice) that your church kids can and will live out their faith before their friends and classmates—or are you afraid they won’t or can’t get the job done?

Set the Standard Higher

Our public schools are our mission field. The problem is that in the public schools we as children’s pastors/leaders cannot share our faith on the school campuses. But our church kids have no limitations of being Christ in the flesh at school!  

Here are some practical steps you can take to help kids be BOLD IN FAITH.

1. Ask Jesus to move in your heart and in the hearts of your church kids—as never before.

Begin to believe that God will do mighty things in your life and in the hearts of your church kids. If you don’t believe that God will move boldly, then your actions will speak clearly and the bar of expectation will remain very low.

2. Create a strategy for how you will teach kids to be “Bold in Faith.” Teach the kids:

• How to seek the Holy Spirit’s help so they can help others learn about Jesus.
• How to share their faith with other kids so they too can understand Jesus loves them.
• How to invite kids to church and to lead them to Jesus Christ so they can know Him.
• How to mentor kids in their faith so they can grow spiritually.

3. Begin teaching kids on a regular basis in how they can boldly live out their faith.

All too often we as children’s pastors/leaders allow curriculum to set the tone for what we teach our kids. But you must determine that you will systematically and continually challenge the kids to live out their faith. This is not a sprint. It’s a marathon! You MUST consistently teach kids throughout the year about living out their faith.  Don’t worry, though, because this process can be a simple five-minute activity each week, which could be done as kids arrive before kids’ church or at the conclusion as parents pick them up. The key is being consistent.

4. Set “Bold in Faith” goals the kids can achieve, such as:

• Be kind to one kid each day this week so that you will show kindness to five kids this week.
• Tell someone in your class that you are a believer in Christ.
• Invite someone to kids’ church this week.

Then as the year progresses, set the bar a bit higher each quarter. For example, after a period of time, you may go from: Telling someone in your class that you are a believer in Christ to Sharing your testimony with one person every week this month about why Jesus came to earth and about your story of what Jesus did for you.

5. Look for opportunities to praise the kids for achieving the “Bold in Faith” goals you’ve set for them.  

1. Hand out certificates that applaud the kids for achieving their goals.
2. Create a “Bold in Faith” poster that lists the names of each kid and place stars by their names each week they:
   • Seek the Holy Spirit’s help so they can help others.
   • Show kindness and friendship to others.
   • Invite someone to church or to know Jesus.
   • Invest in the life of another person by helping them in some way—especially to learn more about Jesus.
3. Applaud the kids who have met the “Bold in Faith” goals by recognizing them in “big church.”
4. Challenge the kids to be missionaries to their schools. The kids who accept this challenge can be prayed for and anointed with oil (by their parents, you, the kids’ pastor/leader, other children’s leaders, and the lead pastor), and commissioned to GO and BOLDLY live out their faith at their schools.

Take the Bold Step

Friend, this is not rocket science. It’s simply being obedient to the Holy Spirit and taking seriously the fact that Jesus wants kids—as much as the youth and adults—to, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation [so that] whoever believes … will be saved” (Mark 16:15,16, NIV).

Take the BOLD STEP. Begin now to teach your kids how to be bold in their faith. And don’t quit!

Want to explore additional goals for your children’s ministry? Visit our 8 Goals for AG Kidmin.

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