At EnCourage Preschools, we pride ourselves on being distinctly Christian. We follow the example of Jesus and lead with love. We also know the importance of introducing faith at a young age, and aim to equip not only our students with knowledge of the gospel but also their parents.
Research from the Barna Group suggests that a person’s worldview begins developing as early as 15 to 18 months old. In fact, 75% of Christians came to faith in childhood — before the age of 18. Furthermore, half of Believers who accepted Christ as children were led to faith by their parents. These statistics highlight two important things: children need to be exposed to faith as early as possible, and parents have a vital role to play.
Here are a few tips to help you talk to your little kids about faith.
Just Start Talking
Don’t wait until you feel like you have every aspect of your faith figured out before talking with your kids about it. Just start talking! Share stories about Jesus, read Bible stories, and pray out loud. Create an environment where faith is a normal and anticipated part of everyday life while your kids are young.
Keep It Simple
The Bible is true and valuable, but not all of it is appropriate or easily understood by young children. Start with simple stories that highlight God’s character in an age-appropriate way. When walking through a story or concept with your children, focus on one detail at a time. The next time you read the story, highlight a new detail and continue building on concepts step by step.
Focus on God
The goal of introducing faith to young children is to provide them with a safe space to get to know God, learn to trust Him, and love His character. When reading Bible stories or talking about faith, resist the urge to turn the story into a quick application for your child’s behavior. Instead, focus on God and His character. Obedience will follow naturally but is not the focus of faith for young believers.
Ask Questions
Kids ask a lot of questions. Sometimes those questions are big and complex. When discussing faith, instead of jumping to a quick or theologically precise answer, start by asking questions back. Encourage your child to think through their questions and wonder aloud about God. You might discover that the question they’re asking isn’t what you initially thought.
As you talk about faith with your little ones, remember that you’re not alone. EnCourage Preschools exists to partner with parents to nurture preschoolers socially, academically, and spiritually. Schedule a tour today, and let’s discuss how we can work together to “train up a child in the way he should go.
