Digging Deeper: The Importance of Teaching Children Theology and Doctrine

Children who are raised by believing parents and attend church on a regular basis quickly become familiar with many of the Biblical accounts. They will learn God created everything including them, they will learn about Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, and many other men and women. They will most importantly learn about who Jesus is and what He has done for them. There is a challenge parents and those who come alongside them in Children’s Ministry often come up against. This is the challenge of depth. How deep do we take the children into the account? Unfortunately, many parenting and children’s resources and curriculum’s today focus on the surface of the Bible accounts and do not delve deeply into their significance and importance.

Have you taught your children to watch out for strangers? We teach our children about stranger danger because we want to keep them safe from predators. This is exactly the same reason that we need to teach our children theology and doctrine. We teach right doctrine so our children are not carried away by every wind as James warns us. We know that we need to be firmly grounded in the Scriptures and our understanding of them in their totality. Our children need the same thing. In addition, a clear understanding of doctrine can prevent our children from being lured away by deceivers as John warns us in 2 John 7.

Where do we begin? What needs to be taught? First, you need to be aware of the developmental level of your children. Often time’s children are able to understand far more than we anticipate. In my ministry experience I get more difficult theological questions from children then adults. One fourth grader recently asked if the thief on the cross, who believed Jesus was the first person in heaven. A fifth grader asked “Why can’t angels repent since they are created beings?” We need to look at the Bible accounts we are teaching and look for the doctrinal areas that are connected. There are several important doctrines that can be taught from an early age. Among those are some of the attributes of God including omniscience (all knowing), Omnipotence (all powerful), and Omnipresence (always present). The Trinity, creation, man, the fall, atonement and much more can be taught to your elementary age children.

How do we teach theology and doctrine to children? Read Psalm 139:1-10.

O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
² You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from afar.
³ You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
⁴ Even before a word is on my tongue,
    behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
⁵ You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is high; I cannot attain it.

⁷ Where shall I go from your Spirit?
    Or where shall I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
    If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
⁹ If I take the wings of the morning
    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me.

This Psalm presents us with a view of God’s omnipresence. When we are teaching our children we should use the correct vocabulary interchangeably with a kid friendly definition. For example when discussing omnipresence you can tell your children this Psalm teaches use God is omnipresent, He is everywhere. Younger children will not recognize omnipresence but will certainly recognize everywhere. Instead of saying everywhere for older children you could say all present. The prefix omni means “all” when placed on the root word “presence” the children can comprehend omnipresence as being all present.

Object lessons are a great way help children learn about theology and doctrine. There are no perfect objects and you have to discern what may or may not work for your children. In the example of omnipresence a sponge can be used to demonstrate the concept for the children.  Take a sponge and submerge it in a bowl of water. Ask if the water is everywhere or all present depending on the age of your children. Take a pair of scissors and cut the sponge. Is it wet on the inside where the cut reveals more of the sponge? Keep cutting the sponge; is there any part of the sponge that is dry? No the entire sponge is wet. We can think of God like the water covering the sponge and the earth as the sponge. God is present everywhere just like the water. 

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.