“Why do you come to church?” I asked one Sunday a few years ago. They may not have been particularly old but I felt sure each child would have their reasons and I was intrigued to hear what they might be. Each of them had made a profession of faith, appropriate to their age – they certainly weren’t on the fringes – so I was curious to discover what they thought being part of church was all about.
And so it went on …
All fair answers. Mostly positive answers. But there was one thing missing. Not one of the group saw it as an opportunity to serve. But then again, I don’t think any of them had been invited to serve.
It’s a difficult call isn’t it? There are certain things in the church that children just aren’t old enough to do. And there are risks attached to pushing children up front or into leadership roles too early – they can often stop learning themselves or struggle with pride. But there’s a bit of a biblical mandate that we can’t ignore. If someone is a believer, they are indwelt by the Spirit – and the Spirit brings gifts that are to be used in the service of others (1Peter 4:10). The logical conclusion is that believing children should be serving.
So how can the local church encourage children and young people to serve?
In the larger church gathering
It’s great to get children and young people involved in reading the Bible in the main service from time to time. And rather than the intercessions being led by an individual, why not invite a family or a Sunday school class to lead the prayers together? Children can help in setting up or packing away a service – collecting the books. And there’s no reason why one of the teenagers can’t be interviewed in a service about how their school CU is going or be invited to do a book review to inspire other young people to read …
In children’s groups
It’s exciting to see children and young people serving more and more in their groups. It might be important for the Bible teaching to be done by an adult, mature in the faith, but if you sing, is there a believing child who can help by playing an instrument? If you pray (and I hope you do!), can a group of young people fuel those prayers by researching the needs of persecuted Christians / local issues? Can you arrange some of the Bible study time on a Sunday so the children are in pairs with older children helping the younger (just for 5 minutes)?
With their peers
Can our young people be diligent in emailing and praying for the children of missionaries overseas? Can we make sure they are equipped to share the gospel with their friends? Are they actively encouraged to get involved in their school Bible clubs and Christian Unions? Are they being shown how to use social media in ways that are wise and glorifying to God (and still fun!)? Are older teens encouraged to get into prayer partnerships so they can encourage others and point them to Jesus?
And this is just the tip of the iceberg … There are many ways to encourage our young believers to be serving. Why not share your ideas here too?
