Let’s take the bottom line first. After researching three large fundamental mission boards, all with over 1,000 missionaries on the field, my long-felt assumptions proved true. All three boards gave almost word for word this quote: “Seventy-five percent of all missionaries on the field today (their missionaries) believe that God laid missions on their heart by the age of twelve!” They knew by twelve that God wanted them to be a missionary some day.
That alone should “seal the deal” as to the necessity to make missions big in a child’s heart “now & later”. In fact, that’s the name of our missions emphasis to children at First Baptist Church, and through our Master Club ministry.
No, we do not “talk them into” being a missionary. That is God’s realm alone. But, why can’t a child understand early-on in life that the mission field is a great place and way to serve the Lord, and the option is open for whosoever will? What’s wrong with that?
We take the positive approach. God alone calls, but He uses us to plant and water the seed! If the bottom line is as stated (by the age of twelve), why would we as leaders not make it a great emphasis in our ministry to the children?
If children can dream of being a doctor or a home builder or ball player, what’s wrong with dreaming of being a preacher or teacher or missionary some day? Why can’t serving the Lord be an option too?
Here is a partial listing of ideas to make missions big in young eyes and hearts, “Now & Later”!
- In June of this year, we completed six-weeks of evangelism and included our children right in the middle of it all! Children need to see their parents, teachers, and church involved in missions. This mission field happened to be only a mile or two away in large living developments. We went to where they live – that’s missions!
- Through Master Clubs, our multiple badge awards move them to learn, research and present their knowledge of our missionaries.
- How about a “Good News Day”, when children help to pass out 500 gospel tracts?
- Let’s do a “shoe box” full of gifts and fun to send to our missionary children on the field right now. Let’s encourage those children in a strange land.
- Let’s take them through sixteen short biographies of great men and women in missions.
- We can fill quarter folders to purchase Bibles to be sent around the world.
- Projects such as learning missions verses, letter writing, coloring projects, learning to present the gospel, home-missions projects, missions games, people group presentations, foreign projects, and learning about the 10-40 window are good.
- How about a missionary prayer room to show maps, people group books, videos, singing mission songs, and make much of prayer for missions?
- The Children’s Bible Institute courses from Master Ministries are full of missions.
- Multiple award badges in Club bring hands-on involvement in missions early-on in life.
- A church-lending library is great for families to take home and use beautiful books, posters, and videos.
- A Christian writing contest could feature essays, poems, and short stories, all on missions.
- The annual Children’s Mission Conference brings it up close and personal as three of the five nights is all theirs. Missionaries speaking to kids (not adults), missions songs, games, videos, crafts, and memory add to their seeing missions above and beyond the bugs and snake stories.
