Faith is one of those words that looks small on the outside but
is actually really big on the inside. Fortunately, it’s still a perfect
sized word to talk through with kids who are themselves small
on the outside and very big on the inside. How we talk about faith
at each phase of a person’s life matters, and hugely impacts how
he or she will think about faith in the phases to come. How you
respond to their questions about faith will determine if they continue
to talk to you about their faith. You get to encourage kids as they
begin a life long journey of faith, and that is the best job in the world.
Here’s a few words to say and a few not to say. Remember, through
this phase, your goal is to…
PROVOKE THEIR DISCOVERY
so they will trust God’s character and experience God’s family.
WHAT TO SAY:
• “I don’t know. Let’s find out together.” (It’s okay if you don’t know everything.
Use that as an opportunity to discover something new about God.)
• “Why do you guys think God asks us to be honest/kind/patient, etc.?”
• “Did you know there are 66 Books in the Bible and they all connect to tell
one story?”
• “I wonder what God’s Word says about that, let’s look together…”
• “No question is too big or too small for God to handle.”
• “We might not be able to see God, but we can know he’s there by looking
all around us! What are some other things we can’t see but we know are
there?” (Examples might be the wind, the sun at nighttime, gravity, etc.)
• “That reminds me of a time when I went through something similar, and here’s
what I learned…” (Tell your own faith stories)
• “Can I tell you about the first time I trusted Jesus?”
• “You are so good at (singing, making things, making people feel welcome,
etc.) How do you think you could serve someone else using your gifts?”
(Help kids live out their faith through service.)
• “Having faith may not always be easy, but we can trust God no matter what.”
• “I know it’s hard to tell sometimes, but what do you think is the wise choice
in this situation?”
• “If you were in the same situation, how would you want to be treated?”
WHAT NOT TO SAY:
• “We don’t ask questions like that.”
• “I don’t struggle with trusting God.” (Everyone at some point struggles with their faith and doubt. Make it personal and be honest about your struggles
and how you worked through them.)
• “If you trust in God, everything in your life will work out how you want!”
• “If you really had faith, you wouldn’t feel like this.” (Anxiety, hurt, sad, etc.)
• “God wants you to read your Bible every single day.” (Reading your Bible
regularly is an important Faith Skill, but don’t set unrealistic expectations
for elementary kids.)
• “Singing is THE way we worship God.” (Singing is A way we worship God.
Help kids understand they can worship God simply by how they live their life.)
• “If you really loved God, you would…”