Over the past few months, after attending a ministry gathering and reflecting on both Scripture and current research, one conviction became even clearer: children’s discipleship matters immensely. By children’s discipleship, I mean faithfully teaching all children God’s Word, evangelizing those who do not yet believe, and helping those who profess faith grow as followers of Christ.
While God has entrusted parents with the primary responsibility of discipling their children, he has also called the local church to come alongside them as a community of believers who know children, love them, teach them faithfully, and help them follow Jesus. If children truly matter to Christ, then they should matter deeply to his church, not only in what we believe about them, but in how intentionally we disciple them.
Children Matter to the Church
When we talk about children, it’s easy to view them as tag-alongs at their parents’ church. But Scripture reveals a richer idea. Children are not simply preparing to become part of the church someday. They are already present among us and worthy of our faithful care.
Like every adult, God created children in his image (Gen. 1:26–27). Like every adult, they are sinners in need of a Savior (Rom. 3:23). They need to hear the gospel today, not years from now. They need to see Christ modeled before them today, and they need to experience the love of his people today.
Jesus made his heart for children evident. When the disciples tried to keep children from him, Jesus responded, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:14). He didn’t view children as a distraction from ministry. He welcomed them and used their dependence to teach his disciples about receiving the kingdom.
The apostle Paul did the same. In his letter to the Ephesians, he addressed children directly. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord…” (Eph. 6:1). Paul expected children to be present when the church gathered to hear God’s Word. Children were not invisible or unimportant. They were present with God’s people and hearing God’s Word too.
If children matter to the church, then they deserve more than our attention. They deserve our investment and faithful discipleship. They deserve adults who know them, encourage them, pray for them, and consistently point them to Jesus. Our goal isn’t simply that members know children by name or recognize who their parents are. Our prayer is for the people of God to truly know the children, and, through those relationships, the children come to know Christ deeply.
The Church is Called to Faithfully Teach Children
Scripture leaves no doubt that parents are the primary disciplers of their children. Deuteronomy 6 establishes a clear pattern of parents talking about God’s Word throughout the ordinary rhythms of life. Nothing we do as a church should ever replace or diminish that calling. In fact, one of our greatest privileges is equipping and encouraging parents as they faithfully disciple their children at home.
But primary does not mean only.
Throughout Scripture, God consistently calls his people to pass his truth from one generation to the next. Psalm 78 doesn’t speak only to parents. It calls God’s people to “tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done” (Ps. 78:4). Discipleship has always been a shared responsibility among the people of God.
The New Testament reflects this same picture. Jesus welcomed children, rebuked those who would keep them away, and declared that the kingdom of God belongs to such as these (Mark 10:13–16). Paul called believers to teach and admonish one another with the Word of Christ (Col. 3:16), and he addressed children directly as members of the gathered church (Col. 3:20–21).
Together, these passages show that children are welcomed by Jesus, present among God’s people, and surrounded by a church called to teach them God’s Word and point them to Christ. God never intended parents to disciple in isolation. He designed the church to come alongside them.
This is why children’s discipleship matters so deeply. Every faithful teacher, meaningful conversation, prayer, encouragement, and relationship becomes part of how God nurtures faith in the life of a child. We are not simply filling volunteer positions or caring for children while adults attend church. We are participating in the mission Christ has given his church to make disciples (Matt. 28:18–20).
What a remarkable privilege that God would invite us into that work.
We Need to Know the Children
There is a growing need for identity and belonging among today’s children. Shane Pruitt and Shelly Melia’s work on Generation Alpha highlights how deeply children are searching for both. Having multiple caring Christian adults who know them and consistently point them to Jesus also shapes children’s faith. As I consider these truths, one thought keeps coming to mind: What today’s research is affirming, God’s Word has always declared.
Today’s children are asking, “Who am I? Where do I belong? Does anyone really know me?” While those questions feel especially urgent in this generation, they are not new. From the beginning, God created us in his image, told us what is true about who we are, and designed his people to live in biblical community.
The world encourages children to build an identity around achievements, appearance, abilities, friendships, or feelings. Scripture tells a different story. The gospel tells us that everyone who repents and trusts in Christ is made new in him (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 2:20).
Likewise, the world often offers belonging based on acceptance or shared interests, but God offers something far greater. Through faith in Christ, God adopts us into his family (Rom. 8:15–17), and we become members of his body (1 Cor. 12:12–27). This is biblical belonging.
Children need to be known, not simply recognized or remembered, but truly known. They need adults who notice when they’re missing, remember what matters to them, ask thoughtful questions, celebrate their growth, pray specifically for them, and faithfully point them to Christ.
Multiple studies have found that children are far more likely to develop a lasting faith when they have meaningful relationships with multiple caring Christian adults. That should not surprise us. God has always designed his church to be a family where truth, love, and relationships nurture faith.
The Fruit We See
When a child is faithfully taught God’s Word, welcomed among his people, and genuinely known by the people of God, something beautiful begins to happen. Children do not simply attend church. They begin to understand that they are loved, valued, and welcomed within the life of the church. Through those relationships, we pray they will come to know Christ and understand what it means to follow him.
Children need to hear the gospel clearly. They need meaningful relationships with people who will point them to Christ. They need faithful adults who will know them, love them, and pray for them. May every child who walks through our doors know that they are made in God’s image, intentionally known by his people, and lovingly invited to repent, trust Christ, and follow him.
Consider our new Children’s Curriculum, Gospel Basics, to help you disciple the children in your church!
