Why do we need a mission to children?

The Apostle Paul in Romans 1, 16 declares that the Gospel is ‘the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.’ The final command of the Lord Jesus to us was ‘Preach the good news to all creation.’ (Mark 16,15).

1. The first and the most important reason why a mission to children is needed, remains the strong command of the Lord Jesus. Christians cannot avoid or get around His command. The Lord Jesus wants children to come (Mark 10, 14; Matth. 18, 14). Biblical evangelism means that we need to evangelize all people, including children.

2. Children have a spiritual need. Without the Lord Jesus they are spiritually dead. They have a problem of sin and must trust in the Lord Jesus.
 
3. Children are able to respond to the Gospel by their simple faith. Pat Verbal, children’s ministry author and consultant for the International Network of Children's Ministry, states  ‘that 75-85% of Christians today made their commitment to faith before the age of 15.’

4. Children are very open to the Gospel. According to Barna Research the probability of accepting Christ is much greater among children, than by teens and adults. In children between the ages of 5 and 13 the probability of accepting Christ is 32%. It drops to 4% for those between the ages of 14 and 18, and picks up to only 6% for the rest of life.

5. Children have a longer future. Mission to children is an investment in the future. The world’s population now stands more than 6.000.000.000. At least one third are children and they are the future of the church and the future of nations. A child saved is also life saved.

6. Children often are God’s tools in saving others. Families, including parents and grandparents can be saved through a simple witness of a saved child. Friends can be reached for Christ, too. This way children can be a great blessing for the local church.
 
7. Children play an important role in the history of the Christian Church. Martin Luther said: ‘If the Kingdom of God is to come with power we must begin with the children and we must teach them from the very cradle.’ Charles Spurgeon wrote: ‘Children need the gospel, the whole gospel, the unadulterated gospel; they ought to have it, and if they are taught of the Spirit of God they are as capable of receiving it as persons of ripe years.’ Dean Stone, former president of the INCM notes that ‘ministry [to] children is the most strategic ministry of the church... excellence in ministry in a local church begins with infancy and works its way on up.’

8. Children need those who are gifted by the Holy Spirit. Those people can teach and evangelize children. They are called by God to involve themselves in the mission to children. (Rom. 1, 16).

9. By involving ourselves in a mission to children we glorify God. The greatest desire of every Christian, not only a parent or teacher is to glorify God. When children are saved and when they live and grow for the Lord Jesus, they bring glory to Him! This is the fruit God is looking for! The mission to children is needed to glorify God!