A child has just accepted Jesus as their Savior — this is fantastic news! But what now? Do you just send them on their way with thankful satisfaction knowing that they are “saved and safe?” No! This child has taken the first step in beginning a relationship with God, and this relationship should continue to grow along with the child for the rest of their life. You should help foster this connection by understanding and teaching these six keys to spiritual
Six things a child can do to grow spiritually:
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Pray.
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Read and obey the Bible.
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Give as God leads.
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Go to church.
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Have friends who are also believers.
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Tell others about Jesus.
1. Pray
The first key to spiritual growth for
2. Read your Bible
Just like they can talk to God through prayer, let children know God can talk to them through His Word, the Bible. As the second key to spiritual growth for
3. Give as God leads
Giving is another essential aspect of spiritual growth for kids, helping them draw closer to God as they follow His guidance. While this may include tithing, there are many different ways kids can practice serving and listening to God by giving to others around them. Some of these ways might include helping their parents without being asked, helping a sibling with chores or helping friends and younger siblings with homework. For older children, you might suggest they ask if they can volunteer at their church by working with the younger kids, helping with set-up or clean-up or handing out bulletins. Whether it’s by giving money or by giving time, God loves it when we give to Him and serve His Kingdom. He doesn’t need our money or time, but it is a wonderful gift to do good in His name because we love Him — making it essential for spiritual
4. Go to church
The Bible says that believers should meet together to encourage each other (Hebrews 10:25). Church is a wonderful place where this happens. As the fourth key to spiritual growth for
5. Make friends with other believers
If kids are able to attend a church, Bible program, or Good News Club®, it will be much easier for them to find friends who are also believers. If a child has friends who are also seeking to live for God, it will help them to grow and learn how to serve Him throughout their daily lives, making this another essential key to spiritual growth for
To explain this to kids, use the illustration described in Ecclesiastes 4:12, which says that a cord of three strands is not easily broken. Just like how one string by itself is weak, but twist three together and they are three times stronger together for it, similar to when you have three Christian friends who support each other.
6. Tell others about Jesus
As a final key to spiritual growth for
These are just a few of the things a saved child can do to grow spiritually. Instead of just leaving a newly saved child to try and figure out how to get to know God better on their own, take the time to teach them specific ways they can get to know God better, and help them learn these keys to spiritual
Fred Pry is the Acting Vice President of Administration at Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), the most impactful child evangelism ministry in the world, reaching over 25 million children with its face-to-face ministry in 2023. Fred joined CEF in 2003 as director of a local chapter in Pennsylvania before being appointed state director of Virginia. Later, he was invited to lead USA Ministries, and since 2024 he has been serving in the role of Vice President of Administration and providing further leadership to the organization as one of CEF’s executive staff.