One Sunday morning one of our parents stopped me in the hall.  She said, “I love the curriculum.  My daughter came home from school telling me that someone was handing out little booklets to the children in her class.  There weren’t enough to go around.  She said, ‘I remembered what we learned in Sunday School and I decided to give my book to a girl who didn’t have one’ ”.  The lesson she was remembering was about honour – “Love each other deeply, honour others more than yourselves.” Romans 12:10.

Another story that a mother told me was when she planned a play date for her five  year old.  As the children played the hosting Mom overheard her son asking the visiting child if she knew Jesus.  When the unchurched child said ‘No’, the boy told his friend that she really should get to know Him because He loved her SO much!

I love to hear these stories!  Our children are beginning to integrate their Christian faith with everyday life.

When the church met to talk about a long range plan, prayer was talked about as something we wanted to learn more about and to practice more often.  Our children are leading the way.  Each week, they have heard their teachers pray in the classroom.  They repeat after the leader, line by line, praises and requests.  One of our preschool teachers, Kate, responds to things the children are saying by saying a prayer out loud.  If a child is struggling, Kate stops and immediately prays with the children.

I was visiting the large group session with 20 preschool children when Kate asked, “Who would like to pray?”  Little hands went up and three children led the group in prayer, the whole group repeating after each line the praying child voiced, just like when their teacher prays!  I was blown away!  Five year old Carter, four year old Zach, and three year old Madeline were leading their friends in profound prayers of thanksgiving for what God has done for us and in remembering sick family members and friends!

Just before our ‘family’ Christmas service, I walked in on the group that was going to present a ‘stick drama’ during the upcoming service, and I heard the children asking God to help them to honour Him and to minister to the congregation, not be just entertainment.  Yes, God was honoured and they blessed us all.   My heart sang as I saw again how children have gifts and ministry to bring to the congregation.

Miriam Little serves as the Director of Children’s Ministry at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church in Toronto.