On Friday, June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States determined that marriage between homosexual couples would be legally recognized in all fifty states. No doubt, our kids are hearing all about this topic both on the TV and, many times, on the playground. It’s hard for any parent to control the context in which their child may have conversations regarding this important topic. Many Christian parents have struggled with the question, “How do I talk to my kids about this?”

We see throughout the Bible, especially in Jesus’ parables, that our ability to receive God’s grace is conditional upon the principle that we share God’s grace with others. This should encourage children’s ministries to place a higher emphasis on grace and extending grace to others.

In kids’ ministry, the Word of God is one of our greatest tools for teaching kids about grace. We often think of grace as something God extends to us. This is certainly true, but grace is also a defining character of God—God is grace. The Bible’s narrative is a grace-filled story from Genesis to Revelation. When telling the Bible’s story to kids, drawing out the grace of God enables kids to gain a proper understanding of who God is.

If we truly want the kids in our ministry to understand the depth of God’s love, we must teach them about the limitlessness of His grace. For example—have you ever had one of your kids respond to the call for salvation every time you present it? This is fairly common in kids’ ministry. Many kids go through a season of questioning their salvation. This is why grace is such an important concept to teach them.

Easter is a prime opportunity to present the good news of Jesus Christ to children. The healthy children’s leader continually discovers new and more effective ways to share the gospel with children. This entry will explore appropriate approaches to sharing salvation on this important day.

What would happen if we helped our kids make an emotional connection to what the disciples were going through during the days leading up to Easter? What if we helped them understand why God orchestrated Easter the way He did? I think they would connect to their Savior in a fresh way.