Training Evangelistic Kids Tip #4: Don't Interrupt!

My main focus as a mother is to set my children on a path toward Heaven. In turn, I want them to lead 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 #4: Don't Interrupt!

I’m not big on the whole “children are to be seen and not heard” thing. Our dinner table is loud with crazy laughter and fun. Our kids participate in adult conversations, especially on biblical topics. But there is a time and place when children need to learn to be quiet. One way to train your children to be evangelistically minded is to teach them the importance of not interrupting a Bible study.

Training Evangelistic Kids #3: A Purposeful Halloween

Our Halloween Treats

My main focus as a mother is to set my children on a path toward Heaven. In turn, I want them to lead 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 #3: A Purposeful Halloween

Monkey2 dressed up as a Christian Soldier

One of the things we try to emphasize to our kids is the abundance of opportunities for evangelism. There are so many ways to turn ordinary moments into efforts to reach people with the Gospel. It's all about making Jesus the center of everything we do and inviting others to see the difference He has made in our lives.

Opportunities for evangelism can often be created by putting a slight spin on how you usually do things. We're not huge fans of Halloween. But when we lived in Michigan there was a wonderful Bible class teacher where we worshiped who put together a dress-up party around October 31st. She told us that she used to boycott Halloween, but then she realized she could use it for good by turning it into an opportunity for a VBS-like event. 

Our friend invites kids to come to the church building all dressed up in their fun costumes, and then she teaches Bible lessons (like The Valley of Dry Bones), drills them on Bible facts, plays Bible-based games, and lets them get sick on candy in a fun, safe environment. Her thought was, "Most kids are going to participate in Halloween anyway, so why not use it for a purpose?"

That's largely how personal evangelism works - by taking whatever you can and making it purposeful. Obviously, you can only take this concept so far. There are certain things that you simply can't participate in as a Christian; sometimes there just isn't a good way to spin it. I don't think Halloween is one of those things. Though I don't like the witches and gore that surround the day, I do not think it's wrong to dress up and go Trick or Treating. Thanks to Pam's example, I see lots of ways this holiday can be used for good.


What other day do you have people coming up to your door and asking you to give them something? They're practically begging you to give them a tract and tell them about Jesus! Okay, okay, they're really looking for candy, but there are so many creative things you can pass out that might plant a seed - Bible stickers, candy with Bible verses printed on the wrappers, little Bible activity booklets... Any little thing that lets people know you are a Christian is valuable (just make sure it's something kids would actually consider a treat). At the very least, your little neighbors will know that you believe in God, and you never know where that could lead.

Monkey4 and Monkey5 maning the treat table

This year we decided somewhat last minute to pass out hot chocolate and our kiddie business cards. We hadn't really planned to do anything because Halloween was on a Wednesday and we knew that by the time we got home from Bible class most of the Trick or Treaters would be finished up. But, since this is our first year in our new neighborhood, we decided to at least try to use it as a chance to meet our neighbors and let them know that we are Christians.

Though we didn't have many people come down our street by that time of night, our kids had a blast dressing up, eating pizza, drinking hot chocolate, and doing our family devotional under the stars. We made sweet memories with our kids and, most importantly, we worked together to try to reach others for Christ.

"Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season" (2 Timothy 4:2). Teach your kids to use every opportunity to reach others for Christ, even when it's Halloween season.

P.S. Another idea I've heard for using Halloween for good is to do reverse Trick or Treating at a nursing home. Dress your kids up and go to a nursing home to pass out candy. The residents will love you for it!

Got a tip for teaching kids to be evangelistically minded? Leave a comment!

Training Evangelistic Kids Tip #2: Door Knocking

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 1^st 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!

Training Evangelistic Kids #1: Kiddie "Business" Cards

My main focus as a mother is to set my children on a path toward Heaven. In 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 #1: Kiddie “Business” Cards

One of my favorite ways of teaching our children to be evangelistic is to let them carry their very own “business cards.” I got this idea from my sister-in-law. Several years ago she posted a picture of the business cards that their family hands out to invite people to worship. She talked about how much her kids love handing these out to waitresses and cashiers, and I thought it was a fantastic idea!