CHILD EVANGELISM THE NEED OF THE HOUR
You cannot train or parent a child that you do not understand his or her world. Some people used to say that "I don't understand Children of nowadays, the way they are behaving is not how we were brought up". You cannot compare Children born into analogue world with those born into digitalised world. They're not the same and they can never be. If you are still teaching, training or parenting the old pattern you were taught, you will just make little impact in the lives of the 21st century Children. For example when last did you see teenage boy with catapult on his neck haunting for birds or sitting down under the moon at night and hearing stories from one old man. Everything about Children now is different; their food, television programs, playing patterns, movies, music and dance are different. The World has evolved, you are the only one that is too stubborn to change.
UNDERSTANDING THE 21st CENTURY CHILD
I love watching sci-fi movies because it reveals the direction of where the world is heading to. The movies are like experiment for reality.
Children born from 2010 to date are called "Generation Alpha" The word "Gen Alpha" was coined by TEDx Speaker, Mark McCrindle. Going by his estimate, about 2.5 million Alphas are born around the world each week and these are kids who will grow up with iPads and smartphones in their hands.
SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF ALPHA GENERATION
1. there would be the most educated generation in history; thanks to the technology and instantaneous information available to them.
2. They're Tech-savvy
3. AI is their reality
4. Social media will be their dominate mode of interaction
5. Religion goes out of the window
6. They're constantly changing.
WHY CHILD EVANGELISM IN TIME LIKE THESE?
1. CHILDREN ARE LEFT ALONE
Parents are so busy these days looking for money to put food on the family tables and they left their children at the mercy of iPads, smartphones and channel cables. The children take in information they received from devices without sieving it to see which one is right or wrong because no one to direct them. The child is alone and lost. He needs someone to point the way.
2. CHILDREN ARE VERY RECEPTIVE
Their minds are empty and they need something to fill up the space. Anything you tell them they accept and believed is true. Therefore, whatever they kept seeing and hearing they grow up with it. Therefore you need to work on their hearts with the words of the God.
3. SIN HAS INCREASED
Matthew 24:12 "For inequities shall abound and the love of many will wax cold"
Sin has great increased and it looks very beautiful like the fruit in the garden of Eden. Most parents care about money more than their children. Some, sell their children in human trafficking to just get money. Devotion to parenting has reduced compared to past.
4. INSECURITY
Children have been the constant target for kidnappers especially in Nigeria public schools, about 1200 students have been kidnapped from January to June 2021. We have to reach out to children as soon as possible with the good news of Jesus Christ and constant prayers for their security.
5. BROKEN FAMILY
This is the generation with highest cases of divorce and single parenting. Many kids in such families lack that parental care and they're constantly depressed. This is stopping them from being free with children in school and having low self-esteem. We reach to them and make them feel loved.
6. POVERTY
After the pandemic the world is not longer the same; the economy is so bad and people find it difficult to eat, clothe and shelter themselves. Also their children can't attend school because no money. We need to go out and demonstrate the love of God with some food items and clothes. In doing this, you will make them understand the love of God.
7. THEY'RE THE FUTURE AND THEY HAVE POTENTIALS.
Whenever I am with a child, I don't look at the child's present; I see what the child will be in 5-10 years to come. So I don't take them casually because casual leads to casualty. They're the future pastor, president, pastors, governors, teachers, Generals etc. If we do not lead them to Christ now, there would be no church building some years to come.
8. THE DEVIL'S TARGET
The devil understands the sentence "Catch them young"
Some years back in Nigeria, a 12 years old boko haram boy shot dead a student of University of maiduguri and the video was everywhere. The devil has many of such Children waiting to manifest their evil agenda. But the church and parents normally said "they're still Children and don't know anything.
Wake up and take your place in Child evangelism.
Written by Tinyang Adenyang
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