Years ago, we were training our team in Mexico and teaching on biblical principles of fundraising. Several pastors from Ensenada joined us.
After attending the first two days, one pastor felt deeply convicted that the Holy Spirit wanted him to teach Matthew 6 — Giving Is a Matter of the Heart — so he chose it as the theme for the Wednesday night service.
When he returned home to a very poor barrio outside Ensenada, he asked the children’s ministry team at his small church to teach Matthew 6 in their classes as well.
He wanted the entire church — adults in the worship service and children in their classrooms — learning from the same passage.
The children’s ministry leaders accepted the challenge and skillfully prepared lessons using the five elements of transformational teaching: Relationship, Experience, Truth, Discussion, and Response.
That night, the pastor preached his message. The congregation sang, the service ended — and, for what may have been the first time in world history, the adult service finished before the children’s classes.
The pastor walked down the hall to his child’s room, where the leaders were concluding the lesson with a Response activity. The natural response to Matthew 6 is to invite children to give an offering.
Fifteen children, ages ten to twelve, sat around a large table. As the small collection basket passed from child to child, each one dug into their pockets for spare change.
The pastor noticed one boy standing with his pockets pulled completely inside-out — empty. He looked embarrassed as the basket came closer.
Then, just before it reached him, his face lit up. He reached into his shirt pocket, pulled out his single stick of gum, and placed it in the basket. It was all he had.
The next day, the pastor told me this story with tears in his eyes. He said he believed — without doubt — that the stick of gum was the most precious gift God received anywhere in the world that Wednesday night.
Helping children respond to God in genuine, heartfelt ways is the final and crucial step in the life transformation God desires for every child.
Every children’s ministry worker longs for this kind of response. Our goal is not only for children to hear God’s Word, but to respond to it in real life. We have already noted that responding to God’s Word is one of the Five Smooth Stones taught in Deuteronomy 6:4-9.
Below are four steps and several examples to help teachers create meaningful Life-Response Opportunities.
Step 1: Review the Lesson Aim
Be sure the Lesson Aim is clear in your mind and worded in a way children can understand. Remember — children must be given the opportunity to respond to God’s truth.
You, the teacher, are responsible to ensure that the Lesson Aim is Biblically rooted and expressed in child-friendly language.
Step 2: Review the Bible Text and Identify Possible Responses
As you read the passage, ask: What response does God desire from the child who hears this truth?
Look for actions, attitudes, or heart-responses the text calls for.
Bible Passage | Lesson Aim | Response Issue(s) |
|---|---|---|
Joseph Forgives His Brothers (Genesis 42—45) | God wants me to forgive people who have mistreated me. | Many girls and boys have been mistreated by their siblings, parents, or other relatives. These children can forgive those people and not be enslaved by bitterness. |
Ruth and Naomi Have Hope (Ruth 1—4) | We can have hope that God will help us in difficult situations. | Children can encounter difficult situations at school, in their studies, and in relationships. They can believe that God will help make things better. |
John the Baptist Baptizes Jesus (Luke 3:15-22; John 1:1-34) | I can make Jesus the most important thing in my life and tell others about Him. | Sports activities can easily take first place in children’s lives. Jesus wants to be #1, and when He is, we will talk to others about Him. |
Jesus Is the Light of the World (John 9:1-12) | Jesus can help me be an example of His love and kindness. | Children can be an example of Jesus’ love to a friend or family member who doesn’t believe in or follow Jesus. |
Paul and Silas Sing in Prison (Acts 16:1-29) | I can worship and praise God even when life is difficult. | The death of grandparents or other family members can bring sadness and sorrow to children as well as adults. Even in those moments children—and adults—can worship God and praise Him. |
Step 3: Identify Real-Life Issues Children Face
Think beyond church walls — into their world.
Consider family dynamics, school contexts, economic challenges, culture, personality, and emotional health. These factors shape a child’s ability to respond to God.
Issue | Life Setting |
|---|---|
Parents | Christian |
Economic Status | Lower Income |
Siblings | Only Child |
Dwelling | Rural |
Schooling | Homeschooled |
Culture | Native Culture and Language |
Personality | Introvert |
Hobbies | Music |
Now list challenges children may face in applying the truth, and how Scripture and the Spirit may help them overcome.
Step 4: Create the Life-Response Opportunity
A Life-Response activity allows children not only to hear truth, but to do something with it — immediately and in the days ahead.
Use your curriculum as a foundation, but feel freedom to adapt it to the context and reality of your children.
Respond Now
(Immediate, personal response in the classroom)
Bible Passage | Lesson Aim | Respond Now |
|---|---|---|
John 21:15-19 | God can use me to do His work. | Teacher Says: “Today we’re going to do some of God's important work by writing a note to cheer up someone. Earlier you made some beautiful notecards. Now you’ll write a personal message of encouragement, hope, and love. You may write to someone you know at a hospital, an orphanage, or a church, or maybe a neighbor needs cheering up. You can ask your parents to help you deliver the letters or mail them.” |
Matthew 1:18-25 | Even though I can't see God, I can believe He is always with me. | Supplies Needed: |
Keep Responding
(Ongoing response that continues at home)
Bible Passage | Lesson Aim | Respond Now |
|---|---|---|
Numbers 11:4-10; Exodus 16; Psalm 105 | I can thank God for normal regular things. | Supplies Needed (for each child): |
Luke 15:1-7 | I can be a part of God’s family. | Supplies Needed (for each child): |
As you prepare to teach God’s Word, work to include a Response Activity that can help children integrate Scripture into their real lives. A child must be given the opportunity to respond to God’s truth.
When children practice obedience, generosity, forgiveness, compassion — when truth becomes action — transformation begins. Continuing to respond leads to lifelong growth into Christlikeness.