How to Share the Gospel with Children

Excerpted with permission from Children and Salvation: Biblical, Theological, and Practical Considerations by Karen Kennemur, Kelly A. King, Shelly Melia, Donna B. Peavey. Copyright 2025, B&H Academic.

Becoming a Christian is not a complicated process. In fact, it is a simple one. According to Romans 10:9, it requires a confession that Jesus is Lord and a belief that Jesus died on the cross and arose from the grave to save people from their sins. The Bible further states the good news of Jesus Christ is for all people. In Matthew 28:19, Jesus commanded the disciples to go into the world and share the gospel with all nations. For this chapter, it is important to note that all nations includes not only all ethnicities but all ages and certainly includes children.

God values children. In Deuteronomy, he commanded parents to tell their children of God and his love. God spoke to Samuel when he was a young child (1 Sam 3:1–15), and God allowed Josiah to become king at eight years old. The only miracle recorded in all four Gospels involved the faith of a child who gave his lunch to Jesus to share with over five thousand people. Jesus affirmed his love for children in Luke 18:16 when he told his disciples to “let the little children come to me, and don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Christians are to love children and share the good news of Jesus Christ with them.

D. L. Moody, the famous evangelist of the 1800s, said, “If I could relive my life, I would devote my entire ministry to reaching children for God.” In 1953, Gaines Dobbins wrote, “The winning of the children to Christ is not incidental. It is today’s supreme imperative. Boys and girls . . . constitute the most significant group in our changing culture.”

Millie Kohn, a children’s minister at the First Baptist Church of Dallas in the 1960s and 1970s, told a story about a short-lived time for children’s worship at her church. The Sunday worship attendance had become so great that space was needed in the sanctuary. Dr. W. A. Criswell, the pastor, asked Millie to start a worship service for children in the chapel. This would allow for space in the sanctuary for more adults. At the end of two years, no children had become Christians during the services. Dr. Criswell and Millie decided to end the children’s worship service. The salvation of children was more important than the extra space in the sanctuary.

Early in my ministry when I was a children’s minister in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, a set of parents in my church asked me to speak with their son, Daniel, who was in the first grade and curious about becoming a Christian. Daniel was from a family with a Christian heritage. His parents and grandparents were involved in their local churches. Daniel grew up immersed in Christianity.

As we talked, I began to present the gospel to Daniel. He firmly answered my questions. I came to the point in the conversation when I asked Daniel if he would like to become a Christian. He said, “No.” I was stunned for a few seconds. I began praying about what to do next with this young man who, by his own admission, was not ready. Then we turned the conversation to what he should do when he was ready. Daniel and I prayed. I spoke with his parents. He went on his way and returned the next year ready to commit his life to Christ.

I have thought of this experience many times since. Daniel knew about Christ. He had grown up around involved believers, but he knew he was not ready to begin his own faith journey. He did not articulate these words, but the Holy Spirit was obviously not moving in his life yet. What a brave young man! He made an important decision that day and then the most important decision the next year.

The Time to Tell Children of the Good News of Jesus

A good question to ask is, “At what age do we tell children the gospel of Jesus Christ?” I believe we begin before their birth. Christian parents can pray over their unborn child, sing and listen to Christian music, listen to sermons, and converse with other Christians, all of which help create a Christian environment for the new infant.

Hopefully, these practices continue throughout childhood. A young child who grows up in a healthy, Christian environment where the good news of Jesus is spoken learns about faith from an early age. Optimistically, this gives a child a clear path to following Christ when prompted by the Holy Spirit.