Daniel Smith writes, “Perhaps one reason so many children go into a period of spiritual stagnation in their teens is that they were frightened into “jumping on a fire escape” rather than being warmly attracted to the Person of Christ. Although the danger of a lost eternity is a part of the gospel, it is not the central issue.”

It was the first Assemblies of God kid’s camp I had ever attended. I was a counselor for twelve elementary aged boys. We sat through the long Monday evening service. My boys were restless, some were sleeping. Then the lighting changed and the evangelist began drawing a colorful chalk picture on a large drawing board. Dynamic music played in the background.

The evangelist spoke as he drew. He told the story of a drawbridge operator who, in order to save an entire trainload of passengers killed his only son in the gears of the drawbridge. This man then invited children to accept the sacrifice of Jesus. I witnessed children crying as they went to that altar rail. For the most part, they were not convicted by the Holy Spirit. They were scared by a story. They were full of sorrow for the boy who had been killed.

Daniel Smith informs us, “Both Scripture (1 John 4:18) as well as personal experience teach us that fear is a powerful and uncomfortable emotion.” Our task in leading children to the altar should not be one of frightening them. We are presenting a loving God who will accept them in their sinful state, forgive them, cleanse and befriend them for eternity.

Since that first camp experience I have experienced many similar altar services. These were services during which the leader played upon the emotions of children causing them to fear for their eternal destination as well as their livelihood on earth. One night at a camp in the Midwest, a children’s worker laughed and said to me, “That preacher sure scared the hell out of them, didn’t he.” I did not find this funny. There is no solid ethical platform from which I can preach that would allow me to “scare the hell out of them.”

Edward Hayes reinforces this concept as he notes, “Avoid anxiety-producing appeals to both parents and children. In any effort to evangelize children, youth, or adults, the Scriptures give us the clues. We are to balance our zeal with confidence in a sovereign God.” It would seem to me that a preacher who preys upon the fears of children in order to reap a harvest has little confidence in a sovereign God.

I know of a man who performs great feats of magic in his services. Early in his ministry, he used intense colors, lights, and actions to preach his message of salvation. Much of this frightened the children and disturbed the adults. As he grew in the Lord and in his ministry the man simplified his program making it less scary and more understandable at the same time. He essentially did what H.B. London wrote about when he inscribed these words, “The Church can be the place where the child feels safe, cherished, and nurtured.” Casting fear into a crowd of children is not the kind of net that reaps an authentic spiritual catch. Jesus, our Good Shepherd and master fisher of men would use bait and tackle that fit the waters in which he was fishing.

My friend Randy Christensen writes, “Children are searching for the reality of supernatural power in an everyday world. This is the theme of the most popular children’s books, movies, and toys.” In our current spiritual climate, children are being subjected to all kinds of interpretations of the use and misuse of spiritual power. Every character from Sponge Bob to Harry Potter is using magical interaction in some form to entertain. The church must be a place where genuine spiritual power is demonstrated in a non-abusive, Christ-like manner.

Robert Choun puts it beautifully when he pens, “A growing awareness of God takes time. The practice of truth is like piano practice; both take incalculable repetition to achieve proficiency. Children have qualities that require that kind of attention and repetition.” Fear tactics to reap results at an altar are little more than an attempt to bypass a God imposed natural order and rush children to a verbal commitment before their hearts are ready for salvation. It’s like placing them in a piano recital without having allowed them to spend time practicing.

So let us reiterate the ethical consideration here. The leader of children must put aside personal ambition and rely on faith rather than fear in giving altar calls to children. He must set aside scare tactics and let God be God. The leader must, with a clean conscience, present the facts of the gospel in a consistent understandable way to the children. Witnessing positive spiritual results in the lives of children may take minutes, days, or even years. In this respect, children’s ministry is not a sprint, but rather a marathon.

Sam Doherty shows us this saying, “As you evangelize children you should instruct the mind, praying that God will enlighten it; involve the emotions, praying that God will stir them; and challenge the will, praying that God will change its direction.” The key element in what Sam says is “God.” Notice his total reliance upon God for results. In Sam’s words, “God will enlighten, God will stir, and God will change its direction.” The task then is to allow God to do His work and will in the life of the child as you faithfully present God’s Word and plan to that child.

When altar time comes, put away your arsenal of scary and heart breaking stories and replace them with a kind invitation to accept God’s forgiveness and grace.

Filed under: Articles