4E. Relationships and the Child's Reaction

Any friendship is two sided. In the Sunday school environment there is the child's reaction to his or her elder and the teacher's influence over the pupil. Both are equally important.

Relationship Building

Children are different in God's eyes. Jesus told adults that unless they became like children they would never enter the Kingdom of God (Mark 10:15). Little ones have special qualities that make them precious in God's sight. As someone once said, "Children are like sponges. They absorb all your strength and leave you limp. But give them a squeeze and you get it all back." But what makes them tick? What makes them special?

Children are Unquestioning

One of the most difficult problems for the children's worker is how to encourage the little people in his or her care to make a commitment to God without this being a mark of the children's own natural desire to please. Clearly, to ask a group of five to nine-year-olds which of them has asked Christ into their heart at the close of a meeting invites all to respond "Yes!" This would be expected if you had done your work properly and built a relationship of trust.

Instead of asking for decisions during a meeting, some evangelists request those interested to stay behind to talk about it. Now while this is much better it can still be misleading because some will remain because their friends do or simply because they are curious. A more successful way is to ask those who have made a positive response to write to the leader and tell them about it. Only those who felt it was an important step will want to reply. Realize above all else that the children will want to please a teacher and so avoid persuasion, however gentle, towards this end.

Children are meek

Scrawled on a wall in London were the words: "The meek shall inherit the earth." Underneath someone had added: "If that's O.K. with the rest of you." The average child is closer to the Kingdom of God than the average adult. Gypsy Smith, a noted evangelist to the wandering caravan people in England, was once asked if there had been anyone saved at a service he had conducted. His reply was "Yes, two and a half!" The questioner hesitated then suggested, "Oh, I see, two adults and one child." "No," answered Gypsy Smith, "two children and one adult!" One of the characteristics that makes children so different from adults is the ability to be meek naturally. Another is to think in concrete terms.

"Practical Christian Outreach in the Local Church"

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