Three weeks ago, my nine-year-old daughter asked me a question that left me feeling like a complete moron. I was resetting the router for our home internet when she looked up at me and said, “Dad, how does WiFi work?” She has noticed that when the internet goes out, we immediately rush to fix it. So, she naturally assumes that it’s essential. And if it’s essential, it must be something we could explain.
Can you guess how I answered her? I looked right into her beautiful bright eyes and said, “Sweetie, I have no clue how the internet works.”
To riff in light of Jesus’ words to Nicodemus in John 3:12, “If I can’t explain how the WiFi works, how will I explain the deep things of God?” And yet, we have a sacred responsibility to tell the mighty acts of God to the next generation.
Over the last 10 years, I’ve lived in the tension of comprehending high and communicating low. I am the father of two girls under the age of 10, and my family served as a foster family for several small children over the last five years. In addition to that, I pastor a church with hundreds of kiddos under the age of 10.
I firmly believe that deep doctrine is for everyone, including little disciples. But how?
Last year, I released a book on union with Christ entitled Home with God. I immediately heard back from adult readers of the book asking, “How can we share the doctrine of union with Christ with the kids in our homes and ministries?” When we encounter life-changing truths about God—when they pierce our hearts—we are compelled by the Spirit of God to share them. We are missionaries for whatever has captured our hearts.
But trying to explain a “mystical union with Christ” to a five-year-old will leave even the most persuasive poets, parents, prophets, and preachers grasping for the right word or phrase.
Over the last 10 years, I have discovered three faithful paths to proclaiming deep doctrine to little disciples.
1. Mimic Jesus
At one point when some tax collectors in Capernaum are trying to trap Jesus with some hard-hitting questions about taxes, Jesus tells them to go catch a fish and look for the coin in its mouth. That’s a bit of a departure from a three-point sermon or an exegetical paper.
When teaching deep doctrine to little disciples, mimic the approach of Jesus. Don’t be afraid to use props and objects. Make a craft, color a picture, or maybe even go fishing.
2. Tell Stories
Jesus doesn’t tell parables because He is unfamiliar with sermons. Keep in mind that most of the recorded parables occur after He preaches the greatest sermon ever. The parables are there to bring the truths of the kingdom into the imaginative field of His audience.
We are all story-shaped creatures, but kids are story sponges. Don’t be afraid to faithfully paraphrase and summarize biblical stories, use storybook Bibles, and make up your own parables to point to Christian truth and virtue.
3. Engage Imaginations
In an attempt to help parents and ministry leaders teach the doctrine of union with Christ to kids, I recently released a kid’s picture book entitled The Dragon Slayer and His Super Special Suit. It’s an imaginative retelling of the gospel story with a focus on the armor of God and union with Christ.
Quite a few people expressed surprise that I would take an allegorical and fantastical approach to a retelling of the gospel story, but I was surprised that they were surprised. One of the most effective ways to engage a kid’s heart and mind is through the door of the imagination. Hollywood, and every tech startup in Silicon Valley, knows this and I am absolutely not going to outsource training the imaginative world of the kids in my home and church. And I don’t think you should either.
Embrace and explore imaginative approaches to teaching deep doctrine to little disciples. Jesus did—and we should too.