The Lausanne Global Conversation is on the World Wide Open Network
Author: Menchit Wong
Date: 05.03.2010
Category: Evangelism Among Children
I am sure you have seen those interesting commercials of a famous bank.
Same pictures can take on different meanings. You may think the meanings contradict each other. And yet, depending on who looks at the picture, the images can be seen in a totally new way.
I think we can say the same for children today. Can we see children in a new way?
Still think children look the same way as the kids next door? Still think children are the usual noisy gang whom you want to turn away while listening to your favorite pastor at church?
Still think children will simply raise their hands over and over again each year during Vacation Bible School when they are asked if they will accept Jesus into their hearts?
Think again as you read through these developments.
Children not being prayed for, but praying for their nations – In September 2009, children and youth joined about 600 intercessors and global prayer leaders to pray for the United Nations and global cities. Today there is an expanding global network of children praying. Amazing but true.
Children no longer victims but overcomers of conflict and strife
– From 1998 to 2006, the central Sulawesi region of Indonesia was torn by conflicts between Christians and Muslims. There were hundreds of deaths and thousands displaced from their homes. Today however, the two groups live in harmony through the powerful witness of two young boys. God used then 8-year-old Aldan Moko and his 80year old prayer buddy Selfin, to call the community to repentance and forgiveness. Amazing but true.
A powerful movement evolves, not centered on adults, but on children - In the past decade, a children’s sports/games movement which we will call Sports&Kids emerged out of the Middle East. In just nine years, it has swept across the world, into every continent, involving around 4-5 million children with over 150 countries participating. Children are involved in a fun and active sports and experiential learning environment, they are hearing the good news and being involved in serving in compassion activities in their communities. Children have contributed 870,000 hours in compassionate service across the world so far. Several principles have made for such a fast multiplying program: simple and adaptable to any culture, based around the global language of sport, experiential in how lessons are learnt, created by leaders from across the world and all based around working together in partnership. All this with no global budget, staff or even an office. Amazing but true.
Indeed, through their prayers, their courage, their pure faith, and their boundless energy for evangelism and discipleship, children are being powerfully used by the Holy Spirit as agents of mission and transformation.
It is time to see children in a new way.
Still see children as helpless tots? Think again! Look again!
Pause to reflect:
What does the Bible say?
References:
Luis Bush. Raising Up a New Generation from the 4/14 Window to Transform the World. New York: Transform World New Generation, September 2009
Dan Brewster. Children and Childhood in the Bible. Penang, Malaysia: Compassion International, March 2009.
Wendy Strachan and Simon Hood (editors). Evangelization of Children: Lausanne Working Paper #57. Prepared during the 2004 Forum for World Evangelization. Pattaya, Thailand: Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization. October 2004
Keywords: children, perception, prayer, overcome, involvement, learning, service, partnership, evangelism, energy
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Australia
Thank you for the intriguing conversation.
I agree that it’s easy to underestimate children and what God is doing in the lives of children with or without the help of adults. John mentions Rebecca Nye’s book that highlights the spiritual awareness and understandings that children have. This is something I can easily ignore - especially when it comes to opening the Bible with children. I suspect that we sometimes lack confidence that God speaks to children through his Word. So we might ’spoonfeed’ them by reducing the Bible to a list of information or instructions - and when that proves too boring, we slip into entertainment. Now there’s a place for entertainment, instruction and information - but let’s believe that when children open the Bible, they meet with God, even if it isn’t quite how we planned it or what we expected.
Let me give you an example:
A streetkids centre in Lima is ’home’ to some tough kids – boys who have learned not to trust people. There is no attempt to push the Bible onto these boys. Except that each night, a passage of the Bible is read to them. Usually with no comment – just God’s word. And usually with no response.
One night, as the boys finished their evening meal and the Bible story was read, it was a shock for the staff and volunteers to realise that almost every boy was crying. This is our story, they said.
What was the Bible passage? It was the story where Jesus was on trial before those who had authorised his torture. And he never said a word. And they recognised - in his story - their own stories: when they are arrested, abused, tortured, beaten, they have a code of silence. Why? Because when all you own are your thoughts and feelings, you protect that with silence. Our silence is our truth, the boys say.
And that’s why this story of Jesus’ silence in the face of abuse so touched their hearts. This Jesus is one of us, they said. His story is our story.
Those boys met God that night. In his Word.
08.08.2010
Zimbabwe
@ Wendy_Strachan:
surely this is one good article about children. It shows how much the LORD HIMSELF USE THEM, My concern is the church attitude the children the churches build BIG and beautiful sanctuaries for adults and very little is done for the children. The children are put last on the budget.
Its time we come to realise if the children are not being used by GOD there are other gods of this world who want to use them. lets make sure the children who are a blessing from GOD feel that indeed they are a blessing in the church. The article shows how much God can use them for Great things.
As a church lets open doors even for those whose parents are not believers. Letsgive children enough room to use their giftings
16.09.2010
United States
Thank you, Menchit for this great article that calls us to look at children with different eyes. My work with children’s ministry brought me to South America where I was deeply inspired by children who were mightly evangelist for God. Nine-year-old Viktoria who paddled her boat twice a week along the Amazon River to pick up her friends to attend her small groups. She told them Bible stories and shared Jesus with them. Today, she runs a small group of 12-15 children and some have accepted Jesus.
God can use children to accomplish his work of redemption. It’s time we look at children as God’s ambassadors, God’s missionaries. We need to stop looking at children as helpless and too young to do anything now. Yes, leaders and missionaries of tomorrow begins with childrne of today. Stop pressing the PAUSE button!
13.09.2010
Brazil
Olá! A Paz de Cristo. Muito bom este artigo, porém devemos nos preocupar também com as crianças que não estão dentro das igrejas, crianças que não tem acesso a palavra e nem a Deus. Crianças que vivem os horrores do mundo globalizado e que até mesmo muitas delas desaparecem para satisfazer a pedofilia global. Devemos orientar nossas crianças no caminho que devem andar e também a se protegerem dos perigos que rondam as escolas, as portas de nossas casas e lugares acima de suspeitas. Oremos para que o Senhor possa guardar nossas crianças dos homens maus deste mundo.
Assista o video falando de crianças desaparecidas:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytk_FF1MPLg
Que a Graça de nosso Senhor Jesus Cristo cubra nossas crianças.
30.07.2010
Madagascar
Thanks for this outstanding article. You are such an inspiration as we start to raise up a new generation of leaders in our country as well. We are deeply conviced that children must be the leader of today’s church and nation. We selected 2,200 children through out the country and built a synergy among children miistry to offer them holistic education for three years. We aim to have them become disciples of Jesus and a chaning agent in their community.
15.07.2010
United States
Amen Menchit!
I remember being in Ethiopia and meeting a young girl, maybe 11 or 12 years old. We asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, and she promptly said "An Evangelist"
We visited her home and found out that she had begun to attend church first, and then had led her mother and her sister to Christ. Before this, her mother had been a prostitute.
Above their bed, I saw something that looked like a verse, and asked what it said since it was in Amharic. The translator told me that it said "Come to me all you who are weary and I will give you rest".
God used a 12 year old to bring her mother to him and to give them hope.
Great article...
Josh
02.07.2010
South Africa
Dear Mechit
thanks for your challenge to engage with children.
We are broadcasting a series about "Children at risk" in Africa, starting in July.
You can listen to the first episode about children in the conversations posted by the "Down to Earth" team:
http://conversation.lausanne.org/conversations/detail/10528
Would love to hear what you think of this episode!
Regards, Rudolf
02.07.2010
Philippines
Hi Mechit, my classmate and co-cell member in college. I do agree very well that we must have a new look at children, who is always looked upon as vulnerable and incapable of making responsible decision and actions. In disaster risk reduction, we have organized children not just for their own safety and risk reduction, but as instrument for educating and creating awareness among the adults. Through their theater, art works, school activities, the parents and other adults become the audience of their advocacy. The same thing can happen in our faith, the children not just hearers in Sunday school but catalysts for change.
11.04.2010
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