My main focus as a
mother is to set my children on a path toward Heaven. It turn, I want them to
be beacons of light, leading hearts around them to Christ. This year my husband
and I determined to emphasize the importance of personal evangelism in our
home. Our highest goal as parents is to train our children in the ways of the
Lord and equip them to teach others the Gospel. In this series of Training
Evangelistic Kids we’ll share some ideas we’ve used to begin raising children
who are comfortable sharing their faith. We certainly aren’t experts in this
area. We’re learning as we go, and we’d love to hear your ideas as well!
T.E.K. Tip #2: Door Knocking
I know there are those who argue that door knocking is
ineffective these days, but we see it as a great training opportunity. While
it’s true that we don’t always get much response from the community, we go door
knocking partly because of the impact it has on our children (and us!).
 |
| Two monkeys with Papa, two in the stroller, one in the baby carrier, and one in the oven |
When there is a door knocking campaign, we go as a family
because:
1.
It gives
reality to the concept of lost souls. Instead of a vague idea of there
being “people” in the world who are lost, door knocking gives us a chance to
put faces of souls in front of our children. An unbeliever is no longer simply
“someone out there,” but “Ms. Brenda on 1st Street.” Giving our kids
a concrete picture of just how many lost souls there are in our community helps
give them motivation and drive for evangelism.
2.
It gives
our kids a job in the Kingdom. Kids love to have jobs. They want to feel
useful and involved. Taking them door knocking gives them a specific job they
can do to help bring others to Christ. When you give someone a job, it gives
them a sense of personal responsibility (a vital quality for effective
evangelism).
3.
Our
children need to see us purposefully evangelizing. Often we wait to
evangelize until the opportunity presents itself. But there is great value in purposefully
setting aside time to go into the community to share Christ. Modeling
intentional evangelism teaches our kids to take the initiative to go forth
instead of just waiting for an opportunity to show up.
4.
It gets
our kids comfortable with varied responses to the Gospel. When you take
your kids door knocking you train them from a young age to be comfortable approaching
people with the Gospel. Sometimes the response is positive. Sometimes not so
much. People are not always going to be receptive, and it’s good for your kids
to see your response to that. When we get to a house where someone tells us,
“Don’t waste your time, I’m not interested,” we smile, wish them a nice day,
and cheerfully move on to the next house. Door knocking teaches our kids
perseverance and courage regardless of reception.
5.
It
creates a strong family bond. When we knock doors together we are on a joint
mission, which strengthens our ties as a family. We have a lot of fun talking
as we walk from house to house, getting fresh air and exercise, and
experiencing the joy of sharing the Gospel together. Evangelizing as a family
gives our little army a united purpose, which our brave young soldiers thrive
on.
We love the opportunities that come from door knocking, but
it’s important to remember a few things when taking kids along.
1.
Kids do
better when they know what to expect. Before heading out, brief them on
what door knocking involves and why you are doing it. Explain the goal of your
door knocking campaign in simple terms such as, “We’re passing out invitations
to our VBS” or “We want to ask our neighbors to study the Bible with us.”
Whatever your specific goal for door knocking, make sure your kids understand
why you are going and how the process works.
2.
Teach
them courtesy. Before heading out on your mission, talk to your kids about
manners. Remind them to stay off of people’s lawns, ask before approaching
pets, and look people in the eye when they’re speaking. Especially during
morning hours (but any time of day, really), teach your children to approach
doors quietly and respectfully so as not to disturb residents. There is no
better way to ensure a grumpy reception than to walk up to someone’s door
loudly on a Saturday morning. Goofing off and horse play should be reined in
until after the work is done. This is a training experience, so they’re not
going to be perfect. Be prepared to hear things from your little creatures
like:
“There’s a gun behind us, Papa!”
“It looks like they live in a junk yard!”
“Someone needs to MAKE him listen to the
Truth.”
“I’m tired of walking. I don’t like this
anymore.”
Not that I have any experience with any of
these…
3.
Teach
them some ice breakers. Kids are great ice breakers in and of themselves.
Most people smile and relax when they see that you have kids with you. But it’s
a great idea to model and teach your kids some other ways of making people
comfortable when you approach their door. If they are out gardening, compliment
them on their beautiful flower beds. If they have a pet that greets you at the
door, give your spiel and then stick around a few minutes to talk about what a
great dog they have. These moments of interaction are as important as dropping
off a flyer. It puts a face with the information, creates a connection, and
makes people more comfortable attending your event because they are already acquainted
with someone there.
4. Be aware of your kids’ limits. Little
ones do not have the endurance of an adult. They will get tired of walking
faster, their tummies will rumble sooner, and they can get dehydrated quickly.
Make sure that you bring plenty of water and snacks and that you take breaks
when needed. Don’t push them so far that they dread the next door knocking.
 |
| Monkey1's purposeful stride |
The innocence of children is a great tool for getting people
interested in the Gospel while you’re door knocking. The worth of door knocking
is also found in using it to train your children that there are those who will
listen and those who will not; we take the Gospel everywhere, regardless.
Got a tip for training evangelistic kids? Share in the comments! And don't forget to subscribe to the Beautiful Chaos blog!
No comments:
Post a Comment