Faith Like a Child

I stare at a class room full of wiggly, noisy, joyful bundles of ​energy.

​ "Say Cheeeese!" I tell the ten 4-year-olds standing in front of me. They all smile back, eager to get their picture taken. As soon as my camera snaps they all clamor around me with noisy wishes of, "Can I see?? I wanna see it!"  

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We talked about Pentecost this week--the celebration of God sending His Spirit to dwell in the hearts of His people. In an effort to bring the story to life, we crafted "fire" headbands replica​ting fire appeared over the heads of the disciples when they first received the promised Spirit. 

Despite the cheery atmosphere, I wonder how much they actually learn. Surely a preschooler's grasp of concepts like the Holy Spirit is rather limited? As a teacher, I desire comprehension. I also recognize that the point of the lessons isn’t for my students to gain complete theological understanding. I forget so often that most young children have yet to make decisions to follow Christ. Ministry to children is every bit of an evangelistic field as ministering to unsaved adults. 

I may not remember all of what my Sunday School teachers taught me, but I do remember the ones who went out of their way to love me, invest in me, and make me feel special. I once had a professor who used to tell us to be "Jesus with skin on," and that, I realized, is what I want to be to these children. At Mountview Christian Preschool, our job as teachers is to make the gospel look attractive by living it out. 

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In the morning we recite our mini-catechism: "What is God?" I ask them--the answer is "God is a Spirit"--but Jacob, my sweet four-year-old friend replies with fervor, "God is a spearmint!" 

Alright, we may not display comprehensive knowledge of the Holy Spirit after this week. But someday when these students make their own decisions about Christ, I hope they can at least look back and say, "I had teachers in preschool who were Christians--they really loved me and took the time to care about me. Maybe Christ cares about me that way, too."