5 Ways to Empower Kids to Share Their Faith

In children's ministry, we often talk about spiritual growth factors.

What helps kids grow in their faith?

What helps children discover and follow Jesus?

What spiritual disciplines should kids be involved in?  

I believe one of the key ways to see kids grow spiritually is to empower them to share their faith. I know personally that when I step out of my comfort zone and share about Jesus with other people, it makes my faith stronger.   

Remember the old saying, "the best defense is a good offense?"  When we empower kids to be proactive in sharing their faith, it causes them to study God's Word, to know why they believe what they believe, and to spend time with Jesus in prayer.  Going on the offense by sharing their faith will help kids ward off doubt, and deception, and disillusionment. 

That being said, here are five proven ways you can empower kids to share their faith.  These have all been tested real time and work well with the Holy Spirit's guidance.

Teach lessons about sharing your faith.  

Teach lessons from God's Word about our responsibility to share the Gospel with those in our sphere of influence. This will give kids a solid doctrinal foundation from the Word of God about the importance of sharing the faith.

Emphasize sharing the Gospel on a regular basis. 

Here's an idea for this. Always have an empty chair in the room.  Talk with the kids about who should be sitting in that chair.  A friend in the neighborhood that doesn't know Jesus?  A teammate that doesn't go to church anywhere?  A cousin who needs Jesus?  

Consistently keep their focus on other people who need Jesus.  What you emphasize will become their focus as well. 

Provide kids with tools they can use to share their faith.

In my curriculum series called The Blab Lab,

each week you help the kids create a tool they can use to share their faith that coming week.

One of the girls got one of these tools at church and took it to her public school classroom.  With the teacher's permission, she used the tool to share the Gospel with her entire class.  You can see the series and the tools at this link.  This series can seriously change the kids in your ministry as they use these tools and gain the boldness for sharing the Gospel that it brings forward.

Spend time in prayer for unchurched friends. 

During prayer time each week, take time to pray by name for other people that the kids want to see come to Jesus.  We know that God can do more in one second than we can do in a lifetime.  Ask him to move in the heart of those the kids are praying for.

Encourage the kids to bring their unchurched friends to church with them.

Here's an idea for this.  Print up invite cards for the kids to pass out. Here is an example of a card that we are currently giving to our church kids to pass out at school, ball practice, neighborhood, etc. You can see the front and back side below.  It is a baseball theme that day.  We are giving our kids these cards each week to pass out leading up to the 29th.

Kids don't have to wait until they are adults to share their faith.  If we will empower them, we will be amazed at how God can use them. 

Your turn. How do you empower kids to share their faith?  Share your thoughts in the comment section below.