Embracing Our Next Generation

Our Next

Take a moment with me to think about your children, your grandchildren, or the children in the church around you. Parents, set aside the struggles you may have had today or yesterday. Imagine their potential… Imagine their personalities… and gifts released in to their full potential!

I think about my 4 grandchildren and how unique each of them is. I have no trouble believing that they could become anything they want to become – artists, inventors, creators, speakers, athletes, and influencers. I’m sure that you can imagine your child or grandchild in the same way.

Children under 14 years old are now considered Generation Alpha. They are digital natives (I call it the “Swipe before they wipe” generation). They have a global awareness. My grandson, Hudson, can ask some of the most interesting questions – and he will have follow-up after follow-up question. They learn differently. I sat in classrooms with chalk boards and rows of seats. They are collaborative and work as teams and thrive in tech-based platforms. They enjoy engaging and fast-paced activities. Their worlds are moving far faster than yours and mine did.

With that being said, they are, like all children before them, fun, energetic, imaginative, caring, and, simply, loveable!

Let the Children Come

Matthew 19:13–15 (NIV) 13Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. 14Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

The disciples tried to keep children away from Jesus—perhaps thinking they were too loud, too distracting, too unimportant. But Jesus rebuked them. “Let the little children come to me,” He said, “and do not hinder them.”

When Jesus says the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these, He’s not being cute—He’s being profound. Children’s hearts are open, trusting, eager. Their faith can teach us something. But only if we value them enough to welcome them, teach them, and raise them in His name.

There is a haunting verse that transitions from the book of Joshua, the conquest and settlement into the Promised Land, and the book of Judges.

Judges 2:8–10 (NIV) 8Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. 9And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 10After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lordnor what he had done for Israel.

It is amazing to me that within a generation, the nation had fallen away from God. Tony Evans writes,

Tragically, parents had failed to transfer their faith in God to their children. And the resulting generational spiritual breakdown would bring about decline in the culture. This is a sharp warning for us: When the family breaks down, civilization breaks down with it. We need to take seriously the spiritual development of our children, because not only do they depend on it, society is banking on it. [1]

Contending for the Next Generation

As Jesus was laughing and talking with the children gathered around, He certainly understood how strategic it is to contend for the children. Today Children’s Ministry refer to the “4 to 14 Window”. It is a term used to describe the age when people are most likely to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. This is why I believe strongly in presenting salvation to children in programs like our GraceKids Sundays, Royal Rangers, and Girls Ministries.

In 2015, the National Association of Evangelicals polled their membership to learn at what age members made this most important decision of their lives, and found that 63% chose to follow Jesus between the ages of 4 and 14. Supporting this finding, other, older studies also have strong data showing that after the age of 18 years old, the number of faith decisions made drop drastically.[2]It is clear that we should be doing all that we can to reach children with the Gospel.

I asked Austin and Brittni (had their first kids camp go through this week) how many kids made commitments to the Lord. On the 1st night of the camp 240 kids responded to the altar.

Our vision at our church is

Growing families that will transform communities for Jesus Christ

We are not called to be bystanders—we are called to be guardians, builders, and teachers. Our children are facing challenges that no other generation has encountered in the same way, and they need a church that is awake, aware, and active.

Children Are a Heritage from the Lord

Psalm 127:3 (NIV) 3Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.

The psalmist reminds us that children are not a burden—they are a blessing. They are a reward from the Lord Himself. This means that every child we encounter, no matter their background or behavior, carries the divine image and purpose of God.

Think about that for a moment. God has trusted us—not angels, not kings, not institutions—but us with His most precious resource: His children. What are we doing with that trust?

To see children as God sees them is to recognize their eternal value. To neglect them is not just a social failing—it’s a spiritual one.

Teach Them Diligently

Deuteronomy 6:5–7 (NIV) 5Love the Lordyour God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

God’s instruction to Israel was clear: don’t just follow My commandments—teach them to your children. And not occasionally, not only on the Sabbath, but “when you sit at home… when you walk… when you lie down… when you get up.” That means investing in children isn’t something we delegate to the Sunday School teacher or the youth pastor alone. It’s an everyday calling for every believer.

Our children are growing up in a confusing world. If we don’t give them truth, the world will give them lies. If we don’t show them love, the world will teach them to hate. [Mama Bear Apologitics: Linguistic Theft]. If we don’t provide them a future, they’ll grow up believing they don’t have one.

Train Up a Child

Proverbs 22:6 (NIV) 6Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

This familiar proverb tells us that the seeds we sow in children now will bear fruit for a lifetime. It's easy to become impatient or to underestimate the long-term impact of our efforts. But every word of encouragement, every Bible story, every moment spent listening or praying with a child—it matters.

And this isn’t just for parents. God’s family is bigger than biological ties. Spiritual fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters—you all have a role to play.

How are we training our children? Not just academically, but spiritually? Are we giving them the tools to navigate a life of faith? Are we modeling the kind of discipleship we hope they will carry forward?

Is It Your Time to Invest?

Time

Spend intentional time with children. Read to them, listen to them, be present. Nothing says “you matter” like undivided attention.

Resource

Fund children’s ministries. Support schools. Provide mentorship and tutoring. Invest financially in their education and spiritual development.

· By the time a child turns 9 years old, their basic moral foundation and worldview has been formed.

· By age 13, a person has “irrevocably” formed the majority of their beliefs about the nature of God, the existence of Satan, the reliability of the Bible, what they believe about the afterlife, the deity, the salvation experience, and the importance of the Holy Spirit.[3]

Model

Children learn by imitation. Live in a way that you would want a child to follow. Be a model of patience, prayer, love, and integrity.

Pray

Cover our children in prayer daily. The world is fighting for their minds and hearts. Let’s fight for them on our knees.

It’s Time to Fight

Church, this is not a season for silence or passivity. It is a time to rise up and say:

“Not on our watch. Not our children. Not this generation.”

Let us remember the words of Jesus:

“Let the little children come to me… and do not hinder them.” (Matthew 19:14)

To hinder means to neglect, ignore, or refuse to invest. May we never be guilty of that.

Let’s stand in the gap, fight in prayer, lead by example, and build a generation who knows the Lord.

I challenge you to join us on June 14th@ 10 am to be a part of a team that will fight for our children and the future children of this church. Let’s work together to form a team that is full of fun, faith, and family and keep this generation for Christ!

[1]Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2019), 266.

[2]https://www.cefonline.com/articles/teach-kids-articles/the-4-to-14-window-why-childrens-ministry-is-so-important-cef/

[3] https://cogop.org/children/the-most-strategic-ministry-of-the-church/