Guidelines for Preparing Your Personal Testimony for Working with Children

Transcription

1 Guidelines for Preparing Your Personal Testimony for Working with Children Remember your testimony is important. Listen for opportunities to share it. Keep it short and SIMPLE. Keep it to the point. Give meaningful details. Avoid bragging, negative and comparative remarks. Don t use Church words. (see language of Zion in When Can a Child Believe? ) Relive your testimony as you tell it. Ask you, If I were hearing this testimony, what questions would I have and what would it mean to me? How to Become a Christian What is sin? Realize that you are a sinner. Believe that Jesus died to save you. Admit (confess) to God that you have sinned. Sample Outline Trust Jesus to save you. Make Jesus the boss of all your life. Accept God s free gift of eternal life.

2 Children and Evangelism 1. Be clear in explaining what the child should know in order to become a Christian: ª God loves you ª You must admit to Him that you have done wrong things ª Believe that Christ died to pay for your sins ª You must ask for His forgiveness 2. Be familiar with Scriptures that will help lead children to Christ: ª John 3:16 ª Romans 3:23 ª Romans 5:8 ª Romans 6:23 3. Be careful to use words the child can understand. 4. Relay on the Holy Spirit; A decision prompted by the Spirit is the only genuine decision. 5. Use your testimony and the Bible when sharing the gospel message. 6. Let the child ask questions. 7. Refrain from making an example to the group of a child who has recently become a Christian. Children are pleasers and desire approval. 8. Make sure you guide the conversation with a child by asking open-ended questions, such as Why do you want to Become a Christian? When did you start thinking about this? Through such conversation the teacher will learn if the child needs further information or if he is genuinely interesting in making a faith commitment. 9. Instead of a group appeal, make it a more private appeal.

3 Guidelines to Follow in Talking to Children about Salvation Know each child personally in order to guide faith development. Be sensitive to indications, such as questions or change in behavior, that the child may be ready to make this important decision. Understand that there is no definite chronological age when conversion should occur. Find a time to talk with the child alone. Ask questions that will help the child to express his own feelings. For example you may ask, What caused you to start thinking about becoming a Christian? Listen carefully to the child s responses. Answer the child s questions honestly and concisely. Share your Christian testimony. Talk about the meaning of Scripture in God s plan of salvation. Ask the child if he or she is ready to make a decision for Christ. If not, be an encourager and be ready for future discussions. Pray with and for the child. Help the child make the distinction between becoming a Christian and joining the church.

4 Children and Conversion The goal of evangelism with children is not to pass along teachings, doctrines and traditions but for each child to experience a faith that is alive and intensely personal. It must be their faith! We as witnesses cannot bring conviction or save anyone. We can present the Word of God and gospel of Jesus Christ as Savior. Children do not need must not be pressured to make a decision to accept Christ. They must understand what salvation is, what it means, and how it relates to them before they can be expected to make a genuine commitment to Christ. While it is impossible for you to create faith in a child, you can create a climate which will be favorable to the development of faith. Generally the home is the best and most influential place in a child s life to promote the development of faith. However the time that you have with children can make a difference in their lives. Much about forgiveness is caught rather than taught. If forgiveness is acted out in small give-and-take relationships, then to accept the forgiveness of God will be easier. You as a leader must be fair and exercise authority with a sense of compassion. A child experiencing authority can more readily submit the lordship of Christ when the time comes. A child exposed to the teachings of Scripture at an early age will, of course, find faith easier. But at any age, the introduction of Bible material in a positive manner can help to build the foundations for a relationship to Christ. Letting a child see you acting out your faith is one of the best testimonies you can give. Let the child see that faith is a part of your everyday life. For example, you may see someone in need and stop to help him. Why? Because of your religious convictions about the worth of persons and your responsibility to them. You may only have to say, I m thankful to God that I can help others. Your personal daily time with God will be the basis to support you in all you do with the children you are working with. Everyone who works with children has one skill that must be continually developed. Communication, Communicating with children is different from communicating with adults. It takes learning every day to better communicate with children. Conversations about faith and salvation cannot be rushed. Communication will differ according to the age of the child. If you will keep the child first in your thinking, your communication will be better. If the joy is yours of seeing a child come to know Jesus as Savior, rejoice with the child. Give God the praise and glory and honor for the miracle He performed. But remember that a child of 9 years will only have the faith of a 9-year-old. He/She will only understand things as a 9-year-old. A 9-year-old will still be as playful and lively as any other child. This new babe in Christ has a lot to learn about the Christian life. Are you perfect because you are a Christian? Encourage the child to tell others about his experience in his own words. Encourage the child to join the local church. This is the best opportunity for Christian fellowship and guidance for growth. Encourage the child to read the Bible in a translation that he/she can understand. If the child does not have a Bible, try to get one fro him/her. Your supervisor can help you with this. In general, relax and enjoy working with children. Share with them about Christ as the situation arises, but don t pressure them. Listen to the children and get to know them where they are. Have a Great Summer!

5 When Can a Child Believe? Each Child is Different LANGUAGE OF ZION CHILD S TRANSLATION YOUR TRANSLATION Go (come) forward Move from where on is seated Give your heart to Jesus? to the front of the auditorium No. Better try: Let the church people know what Jesus has done for you. Commit your life Who knows? Commit is a Promise Jesus that you will Strange word always try to please Him in all You do. Give your heart Take my heart out of my body Trust Jesus to help you live the way And hand it to someone? Send He wants you to live every day. A valentine. Take Jesus as Savior Go somewhere with Jesus. See the translation for Give your Heart. Lost Misplaced; gone; maybe taken Not trusting Jesus to save you and to By someone who wanted it; not help you day by day Knowing where you are Saved Kept in a hiding place, like saving Trusting Jesus to forgive you for Pennies or dollars displeasing Him. A person is saved When he is willing to live for Jesus All the rest of his life. Make a profession Building something called a Let other people know that you have Profession promised Jesus to try to live always In the way He wants you to live. Give the preacher your hand Make shake hands with the preacher Tell the preacher about the promise you Have made to Jesus. Privileges and responsibilities Something they give you when you The right to vote in church meeting, Join the state or get baptized the right to take part in the Lord s Supper, the duty to help do the work Of the church. The hand of Christian Fellowship Somebody s hand; maybe the A welcome from the people who already Hand of a Christian, maybe there s are Christian, usually done by shaking Someone named Christian Fellowship hands at the close of the service in What a name! Which a person joins the church. Be Baptized Let the preacher put you under Let the preacher put you under water Water to show that you are a follower of Jesus. Call to mission work/ministry A telephone conversation to ask A special time in a person s life when You to do something God speaks to them and asks them to Do a specific work or job.