Teaching Kids the Great Commission
When I was a kid, the number one question I heard from adults was, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I always wanted to be an actress and I believed from a young age that becoming an actress was my calling from God and was the most important thing!
People ask my kids this all the time. Most recently I've heard answers like this: an NBA basketball player (good luck kid!), the president and also a worship leader (great combo), and a doctor. This is a fun question and there's nothing wrong with asking it, but I think it's so much more important to ask our kids: who does Jesus wants us to be?
Jesus tells us exactly who we should be and what we should do in Matthew 28:19-20. He gave all of His followers a big command that we call the Great Commission.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Here is a printable version of the verse because I love verse print outs! You can use this to memorize the verse, cut out strips and hide the words around the house to put back together, cut out into a puzzle, or tape on your mirror. There are two versions included, so you can pick your favorite one to print out.
Here's a quick and fun Great Commission lesson to do with your child or with your grandkids, your Sunday school class, etc.
1. Say: After Jesus died and rose again, He spent 40 days with His friends. Then it was time for Him to go back to Heaven. But before He ascended into the sky, He gave His disciples a very important message about what they should do. This message is for us too! Many people call this the Great Commission.
2. Read: Read the Great Commission together. (Matthew 28:16-20)
3. Share: It's our job to spend our lives telling others the gospel. Gospel means good news. The good news is that Jesus died for our sins and came back alive again! When we choose to trust in Him, we get to live with Him forever in eternity. Let's read the Great Commission again. What do you notice about the very last part? What promise does God leave us? That's right. He is always ALWAYS with us. We are never alone. Sometimes it might be scary or difficult to share Jesus with others, but we always have Him by our side. He gives us the strength and courage we need to share our faith. Have you ever told anyone about Jesus? How did it go? Discuss together.
4. Pray + Do: Use this worksheet to brainstorm who you can tell about Jesus. God places people in our lives on purpose. We all have people we interact with that might not know Jesus. Maybe God is calling you to share your faith with a neighbor, family member, teacher, or friend. Before you begin filling out the worksheet, pray together about who needs to go on the list Have kids each brainstorm who these people are. Then commit to the challenge listed on the bottom:
Pray for the people on the list each day.
Spend time with them. (I know this is hard right now. This might mean virtually or 6 feet apart!)
Invite them to church.
Share Jesus with them. (A great way to do this is to share with them the ways that Jesus has changed your life. The more you get to know Jesus, the more He will come up naturally in your conversations!)