Children truly love being part of faith communities. They enjoy songs, teachers, worship, learning, and having their spirits nurtured. Make no mistake: children are spiritual beings who hunger for things of the Spirit—even when the grownups around them may not recognize that hunger in themselves. Can our churches tap into this natural yearning? Of course! Philippians 4:13 assures us that, through Christ, we can do what He calls us to do. So where do we start? At the core of each of us is a...

After more than twenty-five years in children's ministry, you would think I had seen just about everything. I've taught hundreds of children, written curriculum, trained volunteers, and watched countless young people grow in their faith. I thought I had a pretty good understanding of how children learn about God. But early on, one child with one question changed everything. He was such an intelligent child. He was one of those children whose mind you could almost see working. He was a cutie...

How we engage children in our churches is a topic of endless debate among Christian leadership. We want easy and effective ways to welcome and disciple them. Our African brothers and sisters disciple their children in a radically different way than we do. What do they know that we don't? Over the past few decades, faith communities have been scratching their heads and asking, "Where did all the children go, and how do we lure them back to church with their families? Why are the nurseries as...