School & Youth
Raising children in their faith, whether as a parent, ministry leader or carer, is one of the greatest privileges one can engage in. Tearfund’s Jocelyn Carolissen reflects on how we can help children use their innate sense of justice to contribute to a fairer world.
This resources was first published in Tearfund Magazine Issue 02 2024 - free for all Restorers (become a Restorer today).
In my experience as a former children’s pastor and a parent, one trap that I find we often fall into is treating children like adults in waiting.
This is not how God sees children – and certainly not how Jesus treated children. When Jesus said “let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these”, not only was Jesus welcoming children as equal participants in the kingdom, but the phrase “such as these” suggests that there is something about the unique way that God has designed children that we as adults can learn from. Here are some of the things we can learn.
Why is it so hard to convince a child to get in the bath? Then when they are in the bath, to convince them to get out of the bath? This is because children live completely in the moment. Although with age comes wisdom on what is the best use of our time and resources, sometimes as adults we are so wrapped up in the worries of tomorrow that we are not attuned to what we need just for today. The story of God providing manna for the Israelites day by day gives us a picture that God wants us to entrust our needs of today to him, and that whatever we may need tomorrow, he can provide for that too. How will our faith in prayer grow if we entrust the problems of today to God?
It is still astonishing when I hear children pray about the cut on their toe with the same amount of faith as they are praying about bushfires. To many children, God hears all our prayers: it is as simple as that. It is so important that as children grow in independence and their worldview expands, they are encouraged to maintain this dependence on God. What is the first thing that babies do when they are born? They cry. This is how God has created human beings, that in their very first moments they know nothing else but to cry out to someone to take care of them. How different would our faith look if the first thing we did when faced with hurt, suffering and injustice is to cry out to God, before trying to fix it ourselves?
“That’s not fair!” Chances are, before a child has mastered buttons on a shirt, they have demonstrated that they understand when things aren’t fair. As children then grow and learn developmentally appropriate lessons on fairness, taking turns and sharing, it is good to tap into their innate sense when things aren’t right, and when things need to be corrected. They understand what it feels like to not be listened to, and to feel disempowered. This can be a great place to start to help children understand God’s redemptive work in the world.
Our first understanding of big concepts like injustice and poverty often starts small – how can they show compassion for a friend at school, a neighbour in their community, or (the hardest mission field) towards their siblings? Help them to see the value in acts of kindness, a prayer, a note of encouragement. A walk on the beach picking up rubbish can help a child understand our role in creation care. Sharing food around the dinner table can open a conversation around Australia’s responsibility to be a good global neighbour and to share resources.
Children have endless questions. It is important to give them the space and ownership to explore them. Allowing a child to explore their curiosity for the world and our place in it is much more important than being focussed on giving them the right answers. When they inevitably come to you with a question, involve them in it and be amazed at their enthusiasm and creativity in attempting to solve it.
As children attempt to make sense of the world, faith is an important element in shaping their worldview. Prayer is God aligning our heart towards him. Cultivating a habit of prayer beyond their immediate needs, praying for other people regularly, helps them to see that God’s love extends beyond themselves. Tell them the stories of those that have gone before us who have prayed big prayers, and who have used their voice and their position to stand up to injustice.
This resources was first published in Tearfund Magazine Issue 02 2024 - free for all Restorers (become a Restorer today).
DownloadJocelyn Carolissen is Tearfund’s National Church and Volunteer Coordinator.
