They weren’t ready. In the year 1212, thousands of children from across Europe rallied together to regain the Holy Land. Their journey was called the Children’s Crusade, and it was a disaster. The children were misguided and had no idea what they were up against. Few survived.
We wonder, could the same sort of thing be happening today? Are there kids growing up who cannot fight the good fight of faith because they aren’t ready?
Ready or Not…
We’re not advocating for another crusade (and we’re not condoning those in the past).
We want children to know God, to love Him, and to trust Him. Our desire is that they grow to stand for the glory of God and teach others to do the same. That will mean engaging in the battle for Truth, having hearts set to seek after Christ.
Are we confident they’ll successfully wrestle against the rulers of darkness of this world?
Are we sending children into spiritual battle untrained?
How can we arm them for the good fight of faith?
We’ve asked ourselves these questions.
We don’t want to be discouraged if the kids in our lives aren’t ready yet. But we don’t want to settle if they’re suited up in plastic armor, either.
So What?
What if the next generation gave all to follow Christ?
What if we train children well for the fight?
…So they truly know and love and trust their God.
…So they grow a passion for truth that keeps them committed to the Word of God.
…So they’re prepared for the fight, and you know when it’s time to pass the baton.
A Heroic Life
Are those we disciple conforming to the life of Christ?
Do they have a passion for the gospel and the glory of Jesus?
Will they be ready to make disciples themselves?
After asking ourselves these questions, we decided to take action and create a resource that can help facilitate these things in your ministry. We’re ordinary people, but we desire to see children equipped with the Truth, and we believe that Christ has called you to make disciples of your generation—disciples who know and love their God. We want to champion this purpose of God in your life and see it accomplished.
We plan to support you with the following:
- Resources that cover the depth of God’s Word yet maintain its simplicity
- Tools that give a clear picture of how the truth of Scripture and the gospel practically affect our lives
- Simple, intuitive, Christ-centered discipleship curriculum
Five Steps for Preparing a Hero
- Be intentional.
- Discipleship is every day. It happens around the kitchen table, at the park, and on the sofa in your living room. God explains it like this: “You shall teach [My words] to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise” (Deut. 11:19). Whether you’re a parent or a ministry leader, be intentional to live everyday life with the children you disciple and teach them about Jesus as you do so.
- Don’t dilute.
- There’s no special version of the Bible for kids. God is calling you to show them the glory of His gospel—Christ in His people. Yes, let’s simplify our language (we don’t recommend walking students through a study in systematic theology), but we don’t have to water down the gospel. For more information on communicating the undiluted gospel to children, visit our Workshops and Training page.
- Inspire heroism.
- Give kids the right kind of heroes and show how the gospel relates to everyday life. For resources, check out our Curriculum Page. Each semester of the Heroic Life Discipleship curriculum focuses on the lives of different Christian heroes from history.
- Dig deeper.
- Delve further into the gospel. We can’t articulate something we don’t know for ourselves. Click here for free tools that will help deepen your own walk with God.
- Come back!
- Subscribe to our emails to receive weekly updates and articles. (We’d love to hear from you in the comment section as well.) Know that we want to support you as you build young lives to engage in the good fight of faith.
Working with God
When we’re faced with the overwhelming task of making disciples, we like to remember what Oswald Chambers said: “When we choose deliberately to obey Him, then He will tax the remotest star and the last grain of sand to assist us.”
We know that God’s working isn’t done flimsily. No, when God works in His people, He does it mightily, and we can be confident that He’ll equip us for His mission to make disciples.
