Faith Conversation Guide – Preschool

Faith may look like a small word on the outside, but it means a big
thing—trusting and having confidence in God even though we can’t
see Him. And even preschoolers can achieve an understanding of
faith and learn to walk in it. After all, preschoolers are experts at using
their imaginations, and they aren’t nearly as impeded by what they
can’t see as grown ups. They see castles in the clouds and believe you
when you say the moon is made of cheese. In this phase, you can help
them develop an authentic faith by inciting wonder. You are giving
them the foundations for their faith in the way you respond
with concrete examples and by letting them explore God’s creation.
As they grow and mature into adolescents, they’ll be able to
understand abstract concepts more deeply. But for now, be as
simple as possible. Here’s a few words to say and a few not to say.
Remember, your goal with your preschoolers are to…
INCITE THEIR WONDER
so they will know God’s love and meet God’s family.

WHAT TO SAY:
• “Jesus wants to be your friend forever.”
• “God made you.”
• “God loves you so much.”
• “We can’t see God, but we can know he’s always with us.”
• “I’m sorry you feel that way. Let’s talk to God about that.”
Or “I’m glad you feel that way. Let’s thank God for that.”
• “There’s a true story in the Bible about that. Let’s read it together.”
(Use an age-appropriate storybook Bible to read stories that relate
to what your preschooler is experiencing.)
• “How can we share with our friends?” (Sharing is the foundation for
service. We start thinking about others when we share what we have
to help them or make them feel included.)
• Repeat simple Bible verses: “Do not be afraid, for the Lord your
God is with you.”
• “The Bible is a book that tells us about God.”
• Sing simple songs about faith like, “Jesus Loves Me.”

WHAT NOT TO SAY:
• “Don’t be silly, Moses wasn’t Isaac’s father.” (Or whatever the biblical
fact they mess up. You can correct them, but don’t make them feel
bad about it.)
• “Don’t ask questions about…” (Because preschoolers have an active
imagination, they will ask some off-the-wall questions about what they
hear. Give them grace with these questions and help them realize that
God is big enough to handle all of our questions no matter how crazy
they may seem.)
• “Details. Details. More Details.” (Don’t over explain Biblical concepts
or include too many details about a story. Use highlights to share the
concept or story in a way your preschooler can understand.)
• “Verses. Verses. More Verses.” (We want preschoolers to know stories
from the Bible. But even the simplest Bible translation is too much for
young kids. Use a storybook Bible written with preschoolers in mind
to introduce them to Scripture.)

Posted in SGL Toolkit.

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