Facebooking in Kids Ministry

There’s no doubt about it, we have crossed over.

Gone are the days of only chatting with friends via the phone, or in the hallways at school. Today there are literally dozens of media options that keep kids connected 24/7.

Kids are naturally social, so it is no wonder sites like MySpace & Facebook have taken off among the kids and teenagers of the world. I’ve heard varying opinions about whether or not this latest social trend is good for Christians, or if it will pose another cultural problem the church must fight. Wherever we fall on the issue, we must confess that kids are there. They have Facebook pages, they text, and they unfortunately play Farmville.

Without getting into a rant against random, cheesy, farm games, let me say that I believe both good and bad can come from Facebooking. While it does open the door wide open for influences and potential risks, I have personally found it to be a great medium for conveying information, and even partaking in a little ministry work.

Below I’ve outlined some of the ways I believe Facebook can be rewarding for a Children’s Ministry. I’ve also outlined some tips I’ve found to be helpful when dealing with kids on Facebook. This social networking site holds great potential for bringing a children’s minister closer to their kids, and is a good source to extend the discipleship beyond the average Sunday morning.

Let’s look at what Facebook has to offer.

Messages – Much like email, this feature allows you to send messages to certain people. You can attach documents, links, videos etc. This is a nice feature because all you have to remember is a name and face, not some random email address like pootsybear79_TX3351@camelmail.net . Messaging is a great way to send information to kids and parents under your ministry. It is quick and easy, and even allows for a conversational style when participants select to reply to all.

Messaging is also a good way to connect with a kid in your ministry, who is otherwise closed in. We live in an era where many kids – and even adults for that matter – are more comfortable opening up behind a computer screen. Someone who is introverted in public, will not talk or participate, may be willing to share their troubles via a medium that is less confrontational. Personally I have found this to be true. There were a couple of kids in my children’s ministry that would be closed in person, yet online would be willing to talk. This medium allowed me to give them godly counsel, and ministry, in a setting that was comfortable to them. It also opened the door for them to feel comfortable speaking to me about it in person. Knowing that I was already aware of what was going on allowed these kids to feel more comfortable when we saw each other face to face.. It provided me a way to connect with kids who needed spiritual guidance.

We need to recognize though, that while messaging may present a good opportunity to connect, there needs to be some guidelines in place to protect everyone involved.

Fan Pages – This feature allows you to create a specific page for your ministry. I would highly recommend this method over using a personal page for ministry purposes. This is a great way to quickly convey information and news. Every time you make a post, it immediately goes to the newsfeed section of your fan’s pages. This is a great tool for ministries to provide simple teaching tips, inspirational sayings, a scripture of the day, or illicit conversation over a thought. I would suggest using the wall of your Facebook page (in less than 420 characters of course) to briefly recap the highlights of your kid’s church, or Sunday school, the week before. Ask your kids, teachers, and parents to get involved in the discussion. This will present new opportunities to reinforce the lessons, and get kids thinking about spiritual issues beyond 10am – 11am on Sunday morning.

Events – This feature allows you to place your events on a calendar and send notifications to all your friends. This is a great feature for promoting an upcoming rally, special Sunday, recreation activity, etc. As the date of the event get’s closer, a reminder is placed on the news feed section of your friend’s pages. Not only can you post events, but you can also send out virtual invitations to everyone on your friends list. They, in turn, can pass the invitation on to other friends. This is a great way to promote your event with no cost. This is a great tool for busy ministries with a low budget!

Notes – This section is a minister’s dream. The notes section is basically a blog that allows you to share your thoughts with everyone on your friends list. This is a great place to share experiences, testimonies, or to expound on a thought or Sunday school lesson. You can use notes to send a devotional to your teachers, kids, and parents. You can use notes for training purposes, or to reinforce the sermon from Kids Church. The notes section can be a great discipleship tool in the hand of a minister. If you open a ministry page, use this section weekly to teach your kids, teachers, and equip your parents. When you post a note, everyone on your friends list is immediately notified. This is a great way to disseminate information, and extend your ministry reach beyond Sunday.

Birthdays – Every kid is enthusiastic about their birthday. It is their day! Facebook allows you to place your friend’s birthdays on your calendar, and reminds you when one is approaching. When a birthday arrives, send a quick note or wall post. This is a wonderful way to remember and celebrate this special occasion in a kid’s life without spending money on postage, or having to remember to send a card. If you like sending a card, and have no problem remembering, then keep this up also. The birthday reminders can be a great way for you to show you care enough about your kids to celebrate their special day.

Photos – Facebook allows you to create photo albums to display your pictures. Use this feature to post photos from Kid’s Church, rallies, crusades, fun events, etc. Create a “silly photo” album and fill it with nothing but crazy pictures of your kids! Have them pose silly, or make silly faces, or catch them in funny actions, and post them in this album. This will create a place where kids can relive fond memories. Children’s Ministry is all about creating impressions and memories. The photos section of Facebook can help you achieve this goal.

FB Advertising – This is a great feature that can give your ministry wide exposure for pennies on the dollar. Create an ad campaign that reaches your community. You pay pennies for each impression, or click on the Advertisement. For less than $100 you can literally put your ministry in front of millions of people.

Farmville – There is absolutely no value in Farmville. Stay away from it. It is from Satan. It is in the Bible not to play cheesy farm games. Look it up in Hezekiah 33:5. :)

As a recap,

Facebook can be a great way to expand your Children’s Ministry. It provides opportunities to disciple, connect, inform, and relate to the kids in your church. By having access to your kid’s Facebook pages, you can keep up to date on the happenings in their life. You can see what is important to them, what they are facing, and it helps you keep tabs on the spiritual state of your kids. This is a great tool for Children’s Ministry workers because it helps you clue in to what your kids need each Sunday. It moves you from taking a bird shot approach of teaching curriculum and hoping it hits home with someone, to a place of strategic discipleship. When you know where your kids are at in life, you are better empowered to bring them a word from God that speaks to their “today.” Such empowerment moves ministry into a deeper and more influential place. It makes a greater impact in the lives of your kids.

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and oh yea, Farmville is evil.

Let me know ways in which you have used networking media in ministry. I am interested in hearing all your comments about how sites like Facebook can, or have, increased ministry opportunities for you!

Easter: Veggie Style!

Cavis and Millward (Bob & Larry) and Hope the Music Box Angel voiced by Grammy Award winning artist Rebecca St. James must convince Nezzer that Easter is about much more than candy and eggs.

Inspired by Dickens' Christmas classic, this very special film explains why millions of Christians around the world celebrate Easter past, present and future.

HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY!!!!

Tell your kids to shape up this summer!

We've all heard about the obesity epidemic in America. If you're anything like me, you're a shining example of the existence of that epidemic. Michelle Romain - curriculum trainer and Children's Ministry consultant - has developed a program that aims to address the growing trend of childhood obesity.

Meet Shapin’ Up!

Shapin’ Up is a 5 day curriculum that combines fitness, nutrition, and the Bible into a VBS style program aimed at teaching kids how to make proper physical and nutrition choices.

In a world where our kids are continually being bombarded with images of Hollywood women and their anorexic figures, being told that physical appearance is what matters most, and where media has replaced outdoor play, it is refreshing to see a God centered program that teaches kids that our bodies are the temples of God and are meant for his glory (see I Corinthians 10:31).

If you are looking for a fresh and innovative idea for your summer VBS or Kid’s Camp, I suggest you take a look at Shapin’ Up. It’s a unique, flexible, and reusable resource that comes fully equipped to help you address one of the biggest challenges facing children in the 21st century.

Check out the link below and watch the video of Michelle explaining the details of her fitness camp. If you have any ideas on how apostolic churches can address the issue of childhood obesity, please post them in the comments section. We’d love to hear what’s going on!

http://www.kidzblitz.com/fitness.htm

Growing Trends In Children's Ministry

Children’s Ministry is changing! Not only do our kids grow and the needs of the family change, but so must our ministry and the means by which we reach this new generation. Gone are the days of felt boards, and sitting quietly in Sunday school. We have now entered the age of Playstation, Power-Point, and roller skate tennis shoes.

Here are the top 6 positive trends we have identified as growing within the UPCI. These trends will impact your ministry and increase your effectiveness in reaching for the children of this world.

TREND #1 - TAKING A “HANDS ON” APPROACH.

For years many churches approached children’s ministry in the same way they did 20 or 30 years ago. There are a growing number of churches realizing that we can not reach this new generation with old mindsets. Whereas children once had the ability to sit at tables and work through lessons, kids today need the constant activity and hands on interaction that many churches are turning to. Group Publishing, a leader in Children’s Ministry resources, caught this trend and published their “Hand’s on Bible Curriculum” for Sunday school. It has been a tremendous success. Another engaging curriculum is “Kid’s on the Move” published by Church on the Move in Tulsa OK. Both of these resources use a hands on approach that takes kids from just hearing the word of God, to experiencing the word of God.

Also, The UPCI's Word Aflame Publishing offers a distinctly Apostolic Kid's Church and Sunday school curriculum that promotes hands on teaching, and involves students in all activities, while at the same time teaching Apostolic doctrine.

TREND #2 - MEDIA MINDED MINISTRY

This trend continues in the spirit of trend #1. When competing against game systems, television, and videos, churches have discovered that traditional methods are no longer efficient. Because of this many Children’s Ministry leaders have found ways to include power-point, video, and other media in their kid’s church services. (Please see video below)

A multi-media Ministry is highly engaging, but not necessarily more effective than a ministry that can not afford the bells and whistles. What is truly important is for your Children’s Ministry to have a staff that engages the children and forms strong relationships with their kids.

TREND #3 - PARENTAL INVOLVMENT

A growing trend that is revolutionizing the way churches minister to children is something that is so basic and biblical that many have underestimated its importance for generations. Our society has the mindset that it is the responsibility of our local school system to educate our children. Many feel that only well trained, professional, teachers are qualified to properly educate our kids.

This mindset has permeated the church. Many feel that the responsibility of instructing our kids in the ways of God falls primarily to the Sunday school teacher. However, this mindset is changing as parents are beginning to see the importance of being involved in the spiritual instruction of their children. In many churches the Children’s Ministry is taking a supportive role and working to equip parents with the tools to effectively teach their Kids. Churches that find ways to include parents will increase the effectiveness of their ministry by leaps and bounds.

TREND #4 - CHILD SECURITY

Unfortunately the closer we get to glory, the deeper in sin this world must fall. It is becoming more and more common to turn on the radio, open the news paper, or log onto the internet and read about another abduction or abuse case. This unfortunate sign of the times is what has prompted trend number four. Many churches have recognized the need to create policies to safe guard our children. By utilizing a “check in” system, as well as adhering to proper teacher-student ratios and doubling up on bus ministry runs, churches are increasing their awareness of safety needs and taking the proper steps to protect their children from abuse or abduction, and their teachers from wrongful allegations. Creating a safety policy is a smart decision that every church should make.

TREND #5 – EVANGELISM

Bus ministry has always been a popular form of child evangelism. However, we are seeing a new trend approaching on the horizon. Kid’s street services are being found to be an extremely effective way of reaching the children in our communities. For many years churches have hosted “back yard Sunday Schools,” but lately more and more churches are catching on to this innovative outreach.

With exciting music, high energy games, puppets, candy and other activities, our churches are finding that hosting a street service is a highly effective means to promote your church and its Children’s Ministry. During these events, if you send your staff to walk the kid’s home and get their information from Mom & Dad, it becomes a great way to build your bus ministry!

TREND #6 - THE PRIORITIZATION OF CHILDREN’S MINISTRY

To me this trend is the most exciting. For FAR TOO MANY YEARS Children’s Ministry has sat on the back burner of many churches. Most of a church’s time, attention, and resources went toward reaching the teenagers, and adults. More and more churches are realizing that by reaching out to children they are growing their church! It has been said many times, “Save an adult and you save a soul. Save a child and you save a life.”

In a recent Barna Research study they found that only 1 out of every 7 senior pastors listed Children’s Ministry as a priority in their church.

1 out of every 7!

This is staggering when you think about the fact that our greatest chance of influencing someone to live for Christ is between the ages of 5 and 12! Many churches, especially our home mission churches, are discovering that by reaching the children they are able to reach the entire family. No longer is Children’s Ministry only a “necessity” it is now becoming a priority!

If, as Children’s Ministry workers, we do our jobs right; then that makes it easier for the youth pastor, and eventually the pastor, to do their jobs. We are the first line of assault when it comes to Children. What we teach them and what we instill in them will shape their beliefs, values, and ideas for the REST OF THEIR LIVES!


JOE’S THOUGHTS

The question is not “Are children important in my church?”

It is “Are children a priority in my church?”

The answer to that question greatly determines how effective our church and Children’s Ministry will be in reaching the future generation. If we approach kids as anything other than a priority, we should not be surprised when they choose something other than God.

Why?

Because the world understands the importance of making them their priority and it has put into motion many things to influence the children to live worldly and humanistic lives. Looking at the world objectively, there is no other area of ministry fought harder than the field of our Children. Hell is doing everything in its power to remove God from their lives, teach humanistic doctrine, normalize sin, and degrade the family structure, all for the purpose of influencing our children - the future generation.

The church is the only entity that can defeat the game plan of Hell. Left unchecked Hell will prevail; left un-reached we will lose our children. It is imperative that each church make Children’s Ministry a priority if they wish to be effective in influencing the next generation for Christ.


Below is a video segment I use in kid's church - as well as rallies, camps, and crusades. I call it "Bro. Joe's Toy Stories." It is a simple concept using toys to tell a Biblical story or illustrate a Biblical principle. I got the idea from Karl Bastian - The Kidologist. It is a lot of fun and kids absolutely love them.

I would love to hear how you incorporate media into your Kid's Church. Please comment below and share your ideas!

Praying with children at the altar - PART TWO

As a Children’s Evangelist, one of the things I wrestle with the most is the desire to give kids the Holy Ghost. I wish that every child, in every service, would receive the baptism of God’s Spirit.

I would often take this request to God, and before each service I would pray for God to fill kids with the Holy Ghost during the altar call. While I don’t believe there is anything inherently wrong with such a request, I realized one day that I was working to convince God to fill a child with his Spirit.

That is ridiculous!

God – in his own gentle way – reminded me one day in prayer that it was HE who had died for those children, NOT me. I realized at that moment what I was doing in prayer, and that I didn’t have to try and convince God to give someone the Holy Ghost…

He wants them to receive it more than I do!

HE died to give it to them!

When this simple revelation hit me, it created a paradigm shift in my thinking. I now understood that my purpose as a Children’s Minister was to get kids into the presence of God so that HE could do what he has purposed to do.

That is the goal of an altar service, to bring the children to a place where they can have an encounter with God and he is able to do in their hearts what he has purposed to do during that service.

Now, I said all that to say this – the steps that I am laying out in this post are those that my wife and I use when praying with a child to receive the Holy Ghost. Do they always receive the Holy Ghost? No. Not always.

There is no sure fire formula for getting kids to speak in tongues. There is no process, no procedure except to lead them through the Biblical plan of repentance and help them get to a place where God can do his thing.

That is your main goal as an altar worker. Lead them the Biblical way, and get them to God – he’ll do the rest.

So, how do you pray with a child at the altar?

If they want Jesus to give them the Holy Ghost

Ask them if they know what the Holy Ghost is: This may seem like a simple question, but the truth of the matter is that a lot of kids – even those raised in church - do not know exactly what the Holy Ghost is. When they hear Ghost, they think of Halloween or Casper, or the standard image that is associated with “Ghost.”

Explain to the child that the Holy Ghost is God coming to live in their hearts and that it is nothing to be afraid of. God loves them so much that he wants to live inside their hearts and he does that through the Holy Ghost.

Ask them if they know how to get the Holy Ghost: By the time a child gets to the altar, all they may know is that they need the Holy Ghost – after all, they have heard about it all service long.

But, they may not know how to receive it. Take the time to explain it to them. It is ok to stop a kid who is praying in order to make sure they have understanding. This will not quench the Spirit; instead it will focus the prayer.

Have the child raise their hands: Again, this step isn’t a necessity, but it teaches the child to be comfortable praying with raised hands, and encourages them to open up in prayer.

Ask if you can lay your hands on their head: Remember. It is very important that we mind where we touch a child during an altar service. Unless you are the parent of the child praying, I would recommend reserving your touching to their elbows – in order to support their arms – and their foreheads.

Always ask them if they mind you laying your hand on their forehead. We are not always privy to the history of each child and can inadvertently create uncomfortable feelings, even when our intentions are pure.

Lead them in repentance: Tell them that the Bible says that in order to receive the Holy Ghost we must first repent which means to ask God to forgive us for all the bad things we have done. Ask them if they have ever done things they knew they weren’t supposed to do; then tell them that is what sin is and we need to ask God to forgive us.

At this point I usually encourage the child to starting telling God about the things they have done wrong. If the child is praying, then I usually pray for them and ask God to give them a heart of repentance and Godly sorrow; if they are not praying, I usually lead them and give them direction on what to say.

Bro. Lloyd Squires, the Don of Children’s Ministry in our movement, suggests that we wait for tears. I agree. Tears are a good indicator that the child is getting in touch with God and is truly repenting. In all my experience I have only known one girl to receive the Holy Ghost without tears, and she was a unique case. Children are tender, and when we see the tears we know they are connecting.

Lead them in prayer: With kids it is often a necessity that those who are praying with them at the altar lead them in prayer. Many adults who come to the altar to pray do not have a clue on what to say or how to pray successfully. This is much more the case with kids.

It is ok to tell a child what to say during prayer. This shouldn’t be confused with teaching someone how to speak in tongues. The Holy Ghost can’t be taught – it is spirit directed, not man directed. However, we can give the child direction and give them words to speak. For example, I will often tell a child “talk to Jesus just like he is your best friend, because that is what he is. Tell him, ‘I love you Jesus,’ ‘I worship you,’ etc.” I’ve found that many times a child will take the direction and before long get into the groove of prayer and start praying themselves. Don’t be afraid to lead a kid in prayer, if they are left to try and figure it out on their own they won’t get it.

Additional Tips

Tell the kids what to expect: Kids don’t always know what to expect when the Holy Ghost begins to move on them. I often let them know that it is ok to say words that do not seem to make sense. I often see kids who will stop praying because they are trying to articulate their prayers when the Holy Ghost is taking control of their tongue and they feel like what they are about to say doesn’t make sense. Remind kids that when they start speaking in tongues, they won’t understand what they are saying and that they shouldn’t try to make their words sound like English.

Get them talking: Kids often have the tendency to come to the altar and just stand there with their head down and mouth closed. This is because they don’t know what they are supposed to do when at the altar. When praying for a child, make sure they are praying as well. God can’t cause them to speak in tongues if they aren’t talking. Admonish them not to just stand there, but to talk to God.

To illustrate this I often ask the kids if they have a best friend and what that best friend’s name is. I then ask if their friend has ever spent the night with them. When they say “yes,” I ask them if they just sit there and stare at their friend all night and never talk to them? This usually provokes a smile and a “no.” I inform them that praying is the same thing, Jesus wants to give them the Holy Ghost, but he can’t if they aren’t talking.

By leading a child in prayer we can help them learn what to say and how to pray. This is also true of kids who just cry when praying. I want these kids to feel the Spirit of God, so I try not to stop them from crying, but at the same time they can’t get the Holy Ghost without talking so I try to get them to talk and pray while they are feeling the moving of the Holy Ghost.

In conclusion

I want to remind you that a children’s altar call can vary drastically from an adult altar call. A lot of times, during an adult crusade, the altar call is given with high energy, emotionalism, and is filled with adults whose heart strings were pulled and conviction had set in during the preaching. While this is the case, at times, with kids as well, a lot of times it is not.

Kids have the unique ability to go from 0 to 60 in about 5 seconds when it comes to praying at the altar; they are sensitive and pure enough to do that. Often times when a child’s altar call is given, it may start off by looking like nothing is going to happen. I’ve felt this way before and God reminded me that he still has the power to create something, when nothing seems to exist. He reminded me that my job was to get the kids into his presence and that HE would do the rest.

If the altar call starts off and doesn’t look powerful, don’t let that fool or discourage you. Get in front of the kids and aggressively work the altar knowing that God WILL move. Once you get the kids to start responding to the Spirit of God, you will discover that what seemed to be a dry and powerless altar call is in actuality a powerful demonstration of God’s Spirit.

It may start off slow, but if you have faith and don’t give up then I guarantee that 45 minutes later, when the altar call winds to a close, you will have kids all across the altar weeping, praying, and full of the Holy Ghost.

I’ve seen it many, many times.

Now go pray those kids through, and may the Lord’s anointing be on you in Jesus’ Name! :)

If you have any questions, comments, or topics you would like to see discussed on Culture Watch please post a comment or send me an email at jcastorina@castorinaministries.com

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Praying with children at the altar - PART ONE

Traveling to various churches and events we are often asked the question, “How do you pray with kids at the altar?”

For a lot of people altar working is a confusing time during the service; especially when the altar is filled with kids. I’ve been told more than once by a well meaning adult that they really want to pray with the kids when they go to the front, but they just don’t know how.

When you consider the fact that a lot of Christians are stumped when praying for another adult during an altar call, it is pretty easy to understand why their trepidation increases when a child is the one seeking a spiritual encounter.

When I first started praying with children I know many of the thoughts I had to battle before I was confident in my altar working abilities. “What do you do if the kid won’t talk?” “Do they even understand what is going on?” “Do kids really know how to pray?” “How do I lead them in prayer in a way that they’ll understand?”

In this post I have outlined the process my wife and I use when praying with children. Hopefully the steps posted here will help others learn how to effectively work with children who are praying at the altar.

Before the Altar Call:

Psych yourself up: Before each service – whether I am preaching it or not – I begin by psyching myself up for the altar call. Remind yourself that there will be an altar call. Kids will respond, they will get the Holy Ghost, and you will be there to pray them through.

By psyching yourself up for the altar call you build your expectations of what is going to happen. When you expect the outpouring of the Holy Ghost, and when you expect children to pray through, then your mind and heart will be ready when the outpouring starts.

Get into the service: It is easy for an adult to allow themselves to become disconnected in a service geared toward children. Fight that tendency! Just like in any service, if you are disconnected during the service it is extremely difficult to become connected during the altar call.

Get into the service. Sing the songs, do the motions, get into the preaching. If you are connected during the service, you will be connected during the altar call.

Get full of the Holy Ghost yourself: It is hard to transfer water from an empty vessel. It is also difficult to follow the spirit if the spirit is not in you. Season the period before the service with prayer.

Don’t walk into a children’s service dry and expect something to happen. Spend time in prayer before you walk into service and get full of the Holy Ghost yourself. When you are full of the Holy Ghost you will be successful in helping others become full of the Holy Ghost.

During the Altar Call:

Ask the child their name: Kid’s love hearing the sound of their own name. Use it often throughout the time you are praying with them. Using their name also helps focus the child on your voice and lets them know you aren’t just talking, but that you are talking specifically to them and that they should listen.

Ask the child what they want Jesus to do for them: It is easy to assume that a child, who is at the altar and seriously praying, is seeking the Holy Ghost. This isn’t necessarily true. Ask the child what they want Jesus to do for them and then listen to their answer. It will tell you where they’re at, and give you direction on how to lead them in prayer.

If they want prayer for something other than the Holy Ghost:

Have the child raise their hands: This step isn’t a necessity, but it teaches the child to be comfortable praying with raised hands, and encourages them to open up in prayer.

Ask the child if it is ok to lay your hand on their head: It is very important that we mind where we touch a child during an altar service. Unless you are the parent of the child praying, I would recommend reserving your touching to their elbows – in order to support their arms – and their foreheads.

Always ask them if they mind you laying your hand on their forehead. We are not always privy to the history of each child and can inadvertently create uncomfortable feelings, even when our intentions are pure.

Seriously pray for the request – even if it is funny: It is fine if a child wants Christ to do something for them other than give them the Holy Ghost. I’ve prayed with kids who were sad because their uncle had died. They didn’t want the Holy Ghost specifically, they wanted comfort. I’ve also prayed with kids who requested prayer for their “sick” pets. While it can be hard for an adult to take such a request seriously, we must remember that this need is very serious to the child and by filling their request we teach them that no need is too small for our great God to hear.

There is one thing I want to note about these “Non-Holy Ghost” requests. They often become door openers to kids getting the Holy Ghost. When you start praying for that uncle, or that pet, the kids will feel the moving of the spirit and they will respond.

ALWAYS pray a blessing over the child: After you have prayed for the child’s request, pray a blessing over the child. Ask God to cultivate a love for him in their heart. Plead the blood of Jesus over the child, and ask for God’s divine protection as they walk through this sin filled world. Ask God to plant a love for the word, and a love for prayer in their heart. Ask him to alleviate their fears, and fill them with peace and joy.

Let the Holy Ghost lead you in praying a blessing over a child. There have been many times when God has used this time to minister to a need the child has been dealing with.

Encourage them to keep praying and not stop: They may not have started off by seeking the Holy Ghost, but I have seen the “Non-Holy Ghost” prayers lead there. Once you are done praying a blessing over the child encourage them to continue praying. Ask them if they want Jesus to do something else for them and then start the process over.

The main goal is to bring the child into an encounter with God. Keep them praying at the altar as long as they want, they will stop if they think they’re done. Encourage them to keep praying. The longer they stay in the presence of God, the more likely they are to respond to that presence.


To be continued……….