Do people care about child evangelism?

[dontwc]

I have been volunteering and working on staff with Child Evangelism Fellowship for almost 5 years. I got involved because it seemed like a no-brainer. Why not get children saved as early as possible and rea ch their families through them? I started volunteering in Good News Club in a public school and got trained to do this amazing ministry. It's the greatest thing I have ever been apart of!!

Part of my job is recruiting other believers and training them to minister salvation effectively to children. It is so disheartening to see how little God's people care about this!! I ran for public office 3 times, and it was easier by far to raise money and volunteers for such a transient thing as an election. I also clean windows on the side because there is so little financial support for what I do. People woould much rather get their windows cleaned than lead children to Christ. I don't understand it.

Why is this?

I make videos that I put on Facebook and YouTube to promote what we do. Here is one below...

Thanks for your input.

Don Marsh

 

[ByTheSpirit]

Do you disciple these children as well?

 

[AlexDTX]

I have been volunteering and working on staff with Child Evangelism Fellowship for almost 5 years. I got involved because it seemed like a no-brainer. Why not get children saved as early as possible and rea ch their families through them? I started volunteering in Good News Club in a public school and got trained to do this amazing ministry. It's the greatest thing I have ever been apart of!!

Part of my job is recruiting other believers and training them to minister salvation effectively to children. It is so disheartening to see how little God's people care about this!! I ran for public office 3 times, and it was easier by far to raise money and volunteers for such a transient thing as an election. I also clean windows on the side because there is so little financial support for what I do. People woould much rather get their windows cleaned than lead children to Christ. I don't understand it.

Why is this?

I make videos that I put on Facebook and YouTube to promote what we do. Here is one below...

Thanks for your input.

Don Marsh

I am a gymnastics coach and work with children every day. I have never been afraid to share my faith in Christ with the kids I work with. The Lord has had me give prophecies to the children as well. I have prayed in the gym with several children over the years to receive Christ. I understand your concern. I take the commandment of Christ "to go into all the world" to mean "as you go into all the world".

@ByTheSpirit I have shared the gospel with many, many people. Whenever I hear people ask if I give follow up discipleship, usually (not necessarily you) these are people who use this as an excuse not to share the Gospel at all. I find myself scratching my head wondering, what do these people think? That God does not really come into their lives? Isn't God able to take care of those who have entrusted their lives to Him? I do not mean that God does not use people for that reason. But remember what Paul told the Corinthians, one may plant, another may water, another may harvest, but it is God who gives the increase. Sometimes I have been the one to follow up, many times it is not me. But it is still God who takes care of His own.

 

[Tree of Life]

What a wonderful ministry!

 

[HereIStand]

Sounds great. A church that I attended in the 1990s had successes with backyard Bible studies for children.

 

[Bluerose31]

I have been volunteering and working on staff with Child Evangelism Fellowship for almost 5 years. I got involved because it seemed like a no-brainer. Why not get children saved as early as possible and rea ch their families through them? I started volunteering in Good News Club in a public school and got trained to do this amazing ministry. It's the greatest thing I have ever been apart of!!

Part of my job is recruiting other believers and training them to minister salvation effectively to children. It is so disheartening to see how little God's people care about this!! I ran for public office 3 times, and it was easier by far to raise money and volunteers for such a transient thing as an election. I also clean windows on the side because there is so little financial support for what I do. People woould much rather get their windows cleaned than lead children to Christ. I don't understand it.

Why is this?

I make videos that I put on Facebook and YouTube to promote what we do. Here is one below...

Thanks for your input.

Don Marsh

sounds like a great ministry. God bless you

 

[ByTheSpirit]

I was only asking a question lol Evangelism is good, but we are also called to disciple. Discipleship gets lost in the "Evangelize the world" ticket.

 

[dontwc]

I was only asking a question lol Evangelism is good, but we are also called to disciple. Discipleship gets lost in the "Evangelize the world" ticket.

I could not agree more. That's what I love about our Good News Clubs. We see the kids every week, and they get actual pastoral care from our grade shepherds. There is always follow-up and follow-through that must be done, and some of our church partners drop the ball and fail to follow-up with the information they get from the permission slip, and don't reach out to the families of these children.

I think if you are one of those who believes that "once saved, you're always saved," you may excuse yourself from the follow-up. But I have seen too many people over the decades "stop believing" and rejoin the wide road to destruction.

So, to restate my question, why do Christians not care??

 

[AlexDTX]

I could not agree more. That's what I love about our Good News Clubs. We see the kids every week, and they get actual pastoral care from our grade shepherds. There is always follow-up and follow-through that must be done, and some of our church partners drop the ball and fail to follow-up with the information they get from the permission slip, and don't reach out to the families of these children.

I think if you are one of those who believes that "once saved, you're always saved," you may excuse yourself from the follow-up. But I have seen too many people over the decades "stop believing" and rejoin the wide road to destruction.

So, to restate my question, why do Christians not care??

Christians do care. Your question has a blanket statement quality to it. I shared that I have led children to the Lord in my gym. But I also lead whosoever is willing to the Lord, adult or child. What you mean is, "Why don't more Christians care about child evangelism?" And, honestly, I think every Christian parent cares about their children coming to Christ. We all have our callings, and labors in the Lord.

 

[dontwc]

Christians do care. Your question has a blanket statement quality to it. I shared that I have led children to the Lord in my gym. But I also lead whosoever is willing to the Lord, adult or child. What you mean is, "Why don't more Christians care about child evangelism?" And, honestly, I think every Christian parent cares about their children coming to Christ. We all have our callings, and labors in the Lord.

Since you are doing right, you have no need to be defensive. I've worked in children's ministry of about 30 years, as a layman and on staff, and I can tell you that many parents, if not most in my experience, viewed us as glorified babysitters. They thought we were leading their kids to Christ, and we thought they were doing it. As a result of no one making it a priority, no one did it.

Bringing your child to church does not make him a Christian. There is no such thing as osmosis evangelism. You must tell them the Gospel and explain it to them. After that, it is up to the Holy Spirit. But if you were raised in church, as were your parents, and their parents, so that it's just been assumed that you are a believer if you go to church, it is possible for no evangelism to take place.

My "blanket statement" is similar to the one used by the OT prophet, who wondered if anyone else besides himself was faithful. The evidence in much of America seems to point to a lack of evangelism in general. Few people even know what it is. That angry person on the street corner who tells all passers-by that they are in danger of Hellfire isn't actually doing evangelism at all. But that's what so many Americans think it is.

So, speaking as one whose job it was for the past few years to approach pastors about supporting Good News Clubs, as well as large numbers of believers about volunteering an hour or so a week to reach children with the Gospel, I can tell you that most people don't care. And I don't let them off the hook as it not being "their calling." They seem called to fish, ride their Harleys, play golf, and shop. I just don't believe it was God who called them there.

 

[AlexDTX]

Since you are doing right, you have no need to be defensive. I've worked in children's ministry of about 30 years, as a layman and on staff, and I can tell you that many parents, if not most in my experience, viewed us as glorified babysitters. They thought we were leading their kids to Christ, and we thought they were doing it. As a result of no one making it a priority, no one did it.

Bringing your child to church does not make him a Christian. There is no such thing as osmosis evangelism. You must tell them the Gospel and explain it to them. After that, it is up to the Holy Spirit. But if you were raised in church, as were your parents, and their parents, so that it's just been assumed that you are a believer if you go to church, it is possible for no evangelism to take place.

My "blanket statement" is similar to the one used by the OT prophet, who wondered if anyone else besides himself was faithful. The evidence in much of America seems to point to a lack of evangelism in general. Few people even know what it is. That angry person on the street corner who tells all passers-by that they are in danger of Hellfire isn't actually doing evangelism at all. But that's what so many Americans think it is.

So, speaking as one whose job it was for the past few years to approach pastors about supporting Good News Clubs, as well as large numbers of believers about volunteering an hour or so a week to reach children with the Gospel, I can tell you that most people don't care. And I don't let them off the hook as it not being "their calling." They seem called to fish, ride their Harleys, play golf, and shop. I just don't believe it was God who called them there.

I understand what you are saying. And I actually agree with most of what you say. The United States is a post Christian culture with the name of Christianity still applied to it. But what you said about evangelism in general is the culprit. I am not an evangelist in the usual sense of the word. I am a prophetic teacher. However, I evangelize because it is the Great Commission. I care about what God cares about. And I evangelize to whosoever will listen, which is both adults and children. And yes, many excuse themselves because they say it is not their calling.

What is terribly sad are the statistics on how many children raised in Christian homes abandon their faith when they go to college. I have argued in the past that no Christian parent should have their children in public schools. They are indoctrination centers to steal faith in God and to instill perverse morality. The same could be said for watching television and movies. If we are not in the Great Apostasy, we are clearly moving full steam ahead in that direction.

Please understand that I am not criticizing your question. I am pointing out that God always has a remnant. There are many Christians who do care, but they are scattered far and wide. And as you pointed, out Elisha thought he was the last prophet who did not bow his knee to Baal. But the Lord told him that there were 7,000 who had not bowed their knees to Baal (1 Kings 19:18). My comments are meant as encouragements, not discouragements.

 

[Courtney Kirk]

I am new to this group and saw your posts. I want to encourage you to keep doing this work with all the passion for it you seem to have. It’s disheartening to see you become discouraged by others lack of involvement but easy to understand. Pray often. It’s amazing how much God hears and answers our prayers.

Hopefully you will find joy in knowing it’s not like that everywhere. I am a children’s ministry coordinator at a small church in Texas where I have many great volunteers. Many even volunteer time every week to go to the nearby elementary school and read with children. Unfortunately laws don’t allow them to share the Bible there, but they are impacting children’s lives in the community. And I believe God blesses that work.

There’s hope.