Why disciple children?
Jesus Christ commissioned the Church with only one task—”make disciples.” With regard to children, most churches today are doing a poor job discharging that responsibility. If Jesus paid us a surprise visit, we would show Him our nice classrooms and resource centers. We might introduce Him to our teaching staff, invite Him to share snacks with preschoolers, and ask Him to teach the older kids. Afterwards, my guess is that Jesus might say: “Thank you for the tour. I can see that you’re having a good time together. You’ve invested in resources and environments. But I came today for another reason—remember the one thing I commanded you to do? Now, please show Me your disciples.” What will you and I say when Jesus asks us that question? In his book, Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions, George Barna wrote, “…ministry to children is the single most strategic ministry in God’s kingdom” (p. 14). God has given parents primary responsibility for the spiritual training of their childre
