from Pastor George Sasso, CCCH Marriage & Family Ministry
with Kurt Bruner, The Center for Strong Families
The fact you’re reading this indicates you are concerned about your child’s faith. As you care for your child’s daily needs and work to prepare him or her for success in life, there’s nothing more important than caring for their spiritual needs and helping them prepare for eternity. It’s likely that you are reading this because, like many parents, you don’t know quite how (or when) to go about introducing your child to Christ. Parents who worry that they don’t have the training or understanding to lead their children to salvation may be tempted to just leave it to the “professionals”—to rely on people at church or ministry events. That’s understandable, but God has given you the most important and most influential role when it comes to influencing your child’s path to salvation. All it takes is a little training for you to feel more comfortable about the when and how of introducing them to Christ.
STEP ONE: Lay a Foundation
A child’s decision to follow Jesus is rarely a one-stop process. Your son or daughter grows in their understanding of God by developing a foundation (hearing the stories of the Bible, learning scriptures, singing about Jesus, and so forth) as well as experiencing life in your home (watching your example, feeling your love, learning right from wrong). These two ways of learning work best when they are connected in your home and integrated into your family life. We see it in Deuteronomy: “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7).
STEP TWO: Discern Readiness
Do your best to discern when your child is mature enough to put the pieces together. Avoid the temptation to push him or her too fast, making sure they are ready and can truly understand the gospel. When you feel they are ready, ask a few questions to help gauge your child’s level of understanding. Read Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.” Then ask questions like, “What is sin?” “How does your sin affect your relationship to God?” and “How can you be right with God?” How they respond can help you sense whether your child is ready in addition to helping your child apply the gospel to his or her own life.
STEP THREE: Guide Your Child in Prayer for Salvation
Romans 10 tells us, “…if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved” (Romans 10:9-10). If you sense your child has a basic understanding of what sin is and what it leads to, as well as what it means to accept God’s gift of salvation and His Lordship, then you can guide your child to pray along those lines. Instead of quoting specific words for your child to repeat, it’s best to prompt them to use their own words—to tell God they are sorry for their sins, to ask for His forgiveness, and to ask Him to be Lord over the rest of their life.
STEP FOUR: Prepare Them for Baptism
Once your child has understood and decided to accept God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, it is time to guide them toward following Christ in believer’s baptism. Call the church office for upcoming baptism dates and times.
GOING FURTHER – Resources
It should be noted that Calvary Chapel Chino Hills does not necessarily endorse any particular resource and the entirety of its content.
Recommended Books:
Available at the CCCH Bookstore
Faith Launch: A Simple Plan to Ignite Your Child’s Love for Jesus by John Trent
Faith Launch shows you step-by-step how to prepare your child to make an informed decision to follow Jesus, or confirm a decision he or she has already made.
The 21-Day Dad’s Challenge: Three Weeks to a Better Relationship with your Kids by Carey Casey
Over the next 3 weeks, learn habits that will have an eternal impact on your kids, your family and your community.
Recommended Download: Leading Your Child to Christ A free download offering advice and guidance to parents who believe their child may be ready for salvation. Click here.
Recommended Websites: