The Battle

As someone who works with teenagers I fully understand the need and necessity to make a concerted effort to reach the school campus. I realize that teenagers are simply going to show up at church just because you are having a lock-in or other fun activity. I also realize that if a school culture is going to change it is going to take students sharing their story and God's story with other students. When they begin to share what they know then things will begin to change at their school. I believe that most church members would agree with this concept when it comes to the Youth but I doubt many would agree that this is the kind of approach that we need to reach the children (elementary school age). My response to them would be why not?

Why is that we see teenagers as these great agents for spreading the Gospel at school but we think that children are not capable of doing such things? Is the Holy Spirit not as strong in children as He is in adults or teens? Does God withhold His great power and might from children yet 'magically' start giving it out to someone when they turn 13? Do we think that somehow children are not smart enough to tell the Gospel?

I think that if we as a church were truly doing things right then our children would want to be telling others in their school about God and Jesus. I think that is were doing things the right way then not only would they want to be doing but that we would be finding ways and resources to help them accomplish that. We would be finding and developing things like a kid's version of The LifeBook for them to give away.

In the end I believe that as a church we need to give more credit to our children. We need to stop seeing them as the church of tomorrow and see them as the church of today.