A trip to the beach is the high point of my family’s summer, and we think about it for weeks before and after our feet hit the waves. My children bubble with excitement when we stuff the car with kites and sand toys. Lovingly prepared lunches and snacks stay untouched in the cooler as they splash and dig and run and build. Back at home, they pore over their shell collections and the pictures we’ve taken.
Ulrike Mai (2014), public domain
Most parents naturally use these three phases mentioned above (before, during, and after) to help their children get the most out of many experiences. These categories provide a useful structure to help our children listen to the weekly sermon at church.
Before the Sermon
Start by introducing the sermon text to your child during the week. If your son has personal devotions, give him the relevant passage for a day or two and see what observations and questions he generates. For younger ones, read them the passage or play the audio version a few times during meals or at bedtime.
Family devotions are a great way to help your children learn to study the Bible. Why not take a night or two each week to prepare for the sermon? This helps both parents and children think through the passage, understand its context, and pray for Sunday morning.
During the Sermon
As with adults, the main challenge for children during the sermon is to listen.
Though children usually enjoy the singing and can hang on during prayer and the offering, the sermon can be tough. How much we should expect from our children varies with age and development. Parents can train their children to sit and listen by providing direction and materials.
When children are very young, tap into their love of crayons and markers. Provide some pictures relevant to the sermon text for them to color. If they like to draw, encourage them to create a picture inspired by the sermon. (Plant picture ideas as you discuss the Bible passage during the week!)
When my oldest could read and write but was not yet able to listen for long stretches, I made a sermon worksheet for her each week. These sheets had some short-answer questions, some blanks to fill in, and some questions requiring more thought. During the sermon I asked her to read the relevant passage and fill out her sheet. After that, she could read or color something else of her choosing.
Older children should be able to pay attention to most sermons. Taking notes usually helps them to focus. Parents can nurture this skill by providing some examples of note-taking and some simple instructions.
After the Sermon
To help your child process the sermon, talk with him about it afterward. Lunchtime on Sunday is perfect for this.
Read the passage again as a family and ask your child to explain his drawing or notes. Find out what he remembers from the sermon. Expand the conversation so that parents and siblings have a chance to share their thoughts.
Parents should lead a brief discussion here: What is the main point of the passage? How does this relate to Jesus? How can we apply the passage individually? As a family? As a church?
Be gracious and understanding as you lead your child through this process. Listening, focusing, and remembering are difficult skills that take practice and maturity to develop.
A Final Note to Preachers
Preachers, remember there are young sheep in your flock. They may wiggle and fidget more than most, but they need the Shepherd too.
I’m not advocating you turn your sermon into a ten-minute Vacation Bible School message, complete with song and costume. But keeping the whole flock of God in mind will affect your preaching.
- Take care in your vocabulary. Don’t use unnecessarily complicated words. Define terms that might not be familiar.
- Choose illustrations that will capture children’s attention. Don’t be ashamed to pull from nursery rhymes or fables. Throw in some animals, princesses, or battle scenes from time to time.
- Finally, remember the children in your applications. Prepare several applications and include some specifically for children. Don’t tire of repetition—children need to hear the commands to obey parents, love siblings, and tell others about Jesus over and over. And remember Jesus in all of your applications! We communicate a lot about God’s grace in the way we frame applications of the Bible.
In some churches, children make up almost half the congregation. By helping them to focus on the Bible through the sermon, we train up the next generation of Christians and add to the Bible study culture of the church.
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