Misty Snyder, a dedicated teacher for young believers and co-creator of Behold Your God studies, joins her husband John to explore effective ways to present the gospel to children. They discuss the importance of communicating at a child's level, emphasizing clarity over simplification. Misty reflects on the need for churches to embrace children’s faith journeys without unrealistic expectations of maturity. They also critically examine baptism discussions, insisting that genuine spiritual transformation is vital, urging communities to nurture the little ones in their faith.
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Avoid Two Ditches With Children's Ministry
Avoid swinging from ignoring children's spiritual needs to centering ministry around entertainment and marketing.
Aim for reverent worship that still intentionally teaches truths children can grasp.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Include Children In The Service
Include at least a part of the sermon or service that suits the little ones, like short children's talks or explained hymn words.
Use emailed previews or simple sermon prompts so kids can listen actively during worship.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Explain Big Words And Speak Simply
Speak in everyday language and define biblical terms so children and adults can follow.
Give a simple synonym or short explanation before keeping technical words like regeneration.
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This week we continue our series on presenting the gospel to children in our churches and families with Dr. John Snyder and his wife, Misty. The pair has spent years considering the topic, not just as parents, but as the authors of Behold Your God: Seeking Him Early, a curriculum that aims to present the realities of the gospel to children on their level.
We are continuing to get help from Charles Spurgeon’s small pamphlet, Feed My Lambs. In that work, Spurgeon warns against several ditches in presenting Christ to children. The first is not speaking on their level. This doesn’t mean we should just replace big words with small words. But it does mean defining the words we use carefully and in a way the kids can grasp. Additionally, when the Lord has done the miraculous work of converting a child, we must be careful not to expect perfect fruit or exceptional spiritual maturity before we embrace him or her as a member of the body of Christ.
Spurgeon also gives us an opportunity for self-reflection. Do our actions reveal that we don’t believe children can be or need to be saved right now? Jesus makes it clear throughout the gospels that he desires the little ones to come to him. He also makes clear how dangerous it is to be guilty of preventing them.
Let us bring our hearts to the Lord through this episode and pray he shows us areas we need to rethink and trust that He is able and willing to save our little lambs.
The Whole Counsel 
