Bible reading for 40.Day 2025 | Matthew 19:14

What does it mean to go All In to win the children?

The State of the Church Survey, which was published in January this year, revealed that churches in Singapore are ageing rapidly.

Given this outlook, we have to consider that ageing churches, especially those without many children, face an existential crisis. Some may not survive past their current generation.

Jesus said,

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)

The Lord desires our churches to be filled with children. We should be actively reaching out to them, including children outside of the Church.

Let the little children come to me

Most children’s ministries today are primarily serving second-generation Christians, the children of our current members. Discipleship of our children is important, and children’s ministry teams are often unsung heroes in our churches. Many children’s ministry workers sacrifice much in order to serve the children. Please appreciate them and show them much love.

However, if we want to see generations come to know Jesus, we must go beyond just serving the children of our current members. We must ask the question, “Having worked hard all night, what have we caught?”

Research in the US has shown that nearly 85% of people who make a decision for Christ do so between the ages of 4 and 14. This age range is considered highly influential for the development of faith.

Perhaps, when Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me,” He was suggesting that churches should prioritise reaching out to them; that evangelism to children should be a priority because of their openness to the Kingdom.

The number of children in Singapore is estimated to be almost half a million. If we can reach just 1% of them, there will be a new wave of young first-generation believers in our country.

There are many children in our communities who are waiting for the Gospel to be shared with them.

Against the backdrop of an ageing nation, let’s go All In to win the children. But to do so will require change. Just like how Jesus taught the disciples to cast their nets on the other side of the boat for a change, perhaps It’s time for us to let down our nets on the other side.

May we suggest 2 ways to do so?

1. Winning the Children requires the Church to go ALL IN.

Winning the children is not just the responsibility of the children’s ministry. It requires a whole-of-Church approach.

Youths should come and partner with the kids’ ministry to reach the children – children look up to them!

Family ministries should come and befriend the parents. If we want to win the children, we must win the parents too. Let the whole Church welcome the whole family into God’s family.

2. Let’s make winning the children a lifestyle.

We don’t have to wait for Sundays to do outreach. Instead, integrate it into your family culture. Make missions a lifestyle.

Every other weekend, our family intentionally invites other children along with us for a meal, a movie or a day out.

A little more than a year ago, we brought two siblings who had recently lost their dad to join us at the zoo. On our way there, we prayed with them, “God, would You let the children hear the lion roar?”

To be honest, we were thinking, “God, we’ve been to the zoo so many times. This lion just doesn’t seem to roar. But would you let the children see You?”

We took the tram, went past the lion enclosure and guess what, the lion wasn’t even looking at us! But hours later, we went back, and the moment we got there, the lion started to roar.

It roared for a full minute like it was responding to the children.

God did it, and we got the chance to share with all the children the love of a Heavenly Father who sees them and hears them.

But here’s the best part. We continued to spend time with this mother and her two amazing boys. They were so moved by how simple it could be to reveal the love of the Father that today, they are opening up their family time to serve more than 30 widows and 50 young children. Many of these are pre-believers, and they are receiving Jesus as Lord and Saviour.

It is time to let our nets down on the other side. Let’s make winning the children a priority: The whole Church welcoming the whole family into God’s family.

Let us pray:

Father, today we declare that we are going to let down our nets on the other side. As we do so, may we find a catch of so many large fish it would take the whole Church to pull them out. May the churches of Singapore be full of children. May we grow younger and younger, stronger and stronger, from generation to generation. Lord, make us missional families with many children at our tables. May the Lion roar, and may His children come home. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.

Reflect:

1. Who are the children in our sphere that we can reach out to? Who are their parents? Ask the Lord to reveal who He wants you to engage.

2. Outreach is seldom convenient or easy. What concerns do we have embarking on this mission to reach children? Let’s surrender these concerns to the Lord.

3. Consider the ways you can involve your family or your cell group in this mission to reach children and commit them to God.

Pray:

1. That we may be willing to step outside our comfort zone to cast our nets on the other side and reach children and families outside the church.

2. That we may be willing conduits to bring the little children to the saving knowledge of Jesus.

3. That the Church in Singapore will agree and unite in this mission, to transform Singapore one child at a time.

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