“Children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward” (Psalm 127:3), says the psalmist—they are beloved by God, as we also know from the Gospel accounts of Jesus saying “Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them” (Matthew 19:14; see also Mark 10:14; Luke 18:16). They are a gift from Him; therefore, they are invaluable to us too. Think about the role of children in every stage of our lives: When we are young, children are our companions and peers. In adulthood, as we become parents, God’s design leads us to love them with deep, unconditional care. And then, when we sail into old age, they are our joy and hope for posterity—“For to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14).
The Kingdom of God
It is not only that our children, when taught rightly and brought up in the faith, will inherit the kingdom of God, but the kingdom of God is carried through to the future by those same children. This has been the case throughout the ages. What a profound thought: We are part of that cascade of inheritance from times before, and we help to usher it on with our offspring. Our children are “like arrows in the hand of a warrior” (Psalm 127:4), which is an image that is both wonderful and daunting.
In life, our sinful nature and other external factors threaten our faith and our endurance. The devil poaches the allegiance of many and tramples the souls of still more. How do we help protect this heritage? How do we protect the precious gifts that are our children? Deuteronomy says to teach the Word of the Lord “diligently to your children” and talk about it daily as a family (6:7). The book of Proverbs states,
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. (22:6)
In short, we teach children to serve the Lord and love His Word.
What Does This Look Like?
How, then, do we pass these truths on to our children—and where do we find a setting intentionally shaped to nurture their faith, sustain their growth, and bear lasting fruit? While the home is our primary place of instruction, we also bring our children into the life of the church. There, they encounter God’s Word woven through every part of worship—in Scripture readings, hymns, prayers, and proclamation—and they are immersed in Christian fellowship at its fullest and most vibrant.
How do we teach our children to serve the Lord’s church and the body of believers within it? Is it through acolyte duties, congregational responsibilities, or community outreach? Those are all good and meaningful expressions of service, and I’ve seen many thoughtful and creative ways churches involve young people in them. But at the heart of it, we teach our children to serve by inviting them first to learn—by bringing them faithfully to worship, encouraging attendance in Bible study and Sunday School, guiding them through confirmation, and supporting them as they continue in faith and practice beyond that. This, too, is a profound act of service: It models Christian belief for the younger ones who follow and helps equip the church for the future. Truly, what greater service can our children offer?
Anecdotally, I love when kids in church exercise their servant hearts by volunteering to block my daughter (who is prone to running off) on the other side of the pew when my husband is preaching or deployed. Or when they hang out with our girls so we can attend a voters meeting in peace.
And then there’s the goodness of an unexpected youth bake sale on a Sunday morning. Give me all the sweet treats!
Service Rooted in God’s Word
Still, an important truth remains: When children serve in the church, their service is most meaningful when it is rooted in God’s Word. It’s easy to think of service as primarily task‑oriented, but the reason our children participate in youth group, acolyting, or other activities is deeper than the tasks themselves—they are learning Scripture, growing in faith, and being formed as disciples. When service flows from engagement with the Word, it becomes more than participation; it becomes worship and witness. The Word gives purpose to everything our children do in the life of the church, shaping the faith they will carry forward. As we pass God’s Word from one generation to the next, youth groups, acolytes, and even bake sales take on their fullest meaning as expressions of a living, enduring faith.
Our children serve by learning and striving ever on in this world when equipped by the faith that God gave them in Baptism and provisioned by our handing down Scripture to them. We teach them because God has entrusted them to us, and we teach them so that they may build up the kingdom of God here on earth—serving others in the Body of Christ as they grow in wisdom, faith, and love. Let us shepherd this precious gift well so that the arrows in our hands go forward with accuracy.
Scripture: ESV®.
See how God’s Word shapes children’s calling to love and serve others in How Can I Help? God’s Calling for Kids.
