How to Help Kids Find Their Calling
I believe God calls all of us to a specific purpose. He invites us into his plan to expand his kingdom. He equips us with gifts, talents, and characteristics to fulfill his purposes. That calling may change over time, but he still has a plan.
That calling doesn’t have a start date either. We don’t get to certain age and then God places that calling on us like a rite of passage. Rather it’s in us from the beginning. But we discover it at different times. For me, I was 14. Others were in their 50s. And still others were 7.
God works in mysterious ways.
If you’re kidmin, it’s easy to think that you can skip calling. You can push it off to youth or adults for them to handle. But kids from their earliest ages start dreaming about what they want to do with their lives.
Before my calling to ministry, I waffled between a paleontologist and a surgeon.
You can help them now discover their calling whether it’s in ministry, medicine, or Jurassic Park. So, here’s how to do it.
1. Teach about Calling
Like many things, if we don’t expose kids to the idea of calling then they’ll never think about it. So, in your ministry, incorporate the idea into your lessons.
When talking about evangelism, talk about how God gives us gifts, talents, and characteristics to share the Gospel.
When teaching about the Body of Christ, teach about how each of us have a role to play in expanding the kingdom.
Point out as much as we would love them to join the ministry, they can serve God in whatever vocation they choose. Whether they're cutting grass, serving food, fixing a roof, or sitting behind a desk.
As you teach them about calling, many people will be people may be afraid to choose a career path. They fear they might miss God’s plan. I’ve been there. Assure them that God orders their steps. As long as they stay close to God, they will stay in His will. Which brings me to my next point.
2. Teach Them to Hear God’s Voice
I talked about how to teach kids to pray in this post. (link prayer) A key part of living out God’s purpose for our lives is staying in His will. The best way to do that is to pray regularly.
Since prayer is a conversation with God, we have to teach kids how to hear God’s voice. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Borrowing from my prayer post, this is how I’ve done it.
“One of the best ways I found to train kids and students to listen to God’s voice is to create a space for them to listen.
At the end of your sermon, have a quiet time. Instead of playing a song and kids respond by coming forward, give everyone a small sheet of paper. and ask them to pray for God to speak to them about the main point. Then sit in silence for 60 seconds. Encourage them to write any thoughts or ideas that come to mind. Then ask them to share what they heard and be prepared to offer your own.” Read more
Kids need to learn how to hear God’s voice. But if we’re constantly playing music or talking then they will never find him in the still and quiet.
Learning to hear God’s voice takes time and practice. Now is a great time to start.
3. Provide Opportunities to Serve
There are two things about calling that hold us back.
We don’t know what opportunities are out there.
We don’t know if we can do it.
As a leader it’s your responsibility to help others live up to their fullest potential. One of those ways is to empower them to serve in their passions. That goes for kids too. It’s so easy for children’s ministry to become a spectator sport. Kids come in, sing, craft, listen, pray, and then leave.
But kids love to help, so involve them in your service. I’ve written about my Kids Lead Team here. It’s the best program I’ve used to help kids find and live out their calling. I’ve found more than one kid with a ministry calling just by allowing them to serve with me on Sunday mornings.
Your kids can serve too. You just have to make the opportunity. As they serve, you get to see the little bud of their potential arise before anyone else. And then you get the opportunity to nurture it and see it grow. It’s one of my favorite things about ministry.
You can read about how I let kids serve here and youth serve here.
4. Create an Event
Spending focused time outside of Sunday morning can create the atmosphere for kids to truly discover their calling. It’s a great idea to partner with other churches in your area or just do it on your own.
Earlier this year, I worked with the Assemblies of God Kidmin department to create Called in a Box. The kit has everything you need to put on this event. The best part is its absolutely free.
In the kit, you’ll find scripts, object lessons, videos, and more designed to teach the kids in your ministry how to find, develop, and live out their calling.
If you’re not ready for this big event, you can also use the Made for This curriculum. The great thing is it’s all free and it’s awesome.
Helping kids discover their calling is one of my favorite things to teach. It’s a milestone of a person’s faith. If you’re looking for something to guide your kids past salvation and baptism, then this is a good next step. As these kids grow, we’ll all see them reach more for Jesus. And for me, that’s what kidmin is all about.
