Torch, Winter 2012

about us. Keller would say a truer reading of that story is that Jesus is the better David. He fought the battle of sin on our behalf. As the people of Israel claimed David’s victory over Goliath, we claim Jesus’ victory over sin. How have you used this principle with Cedarville teams? When I trained and sent Cedarville puppet teams to churches, people often asked, “Are you going to present the Gospel during the program?” My quick response was, “Absolutely.” There is a Gospel way of presenting forgiveness, serving, or any subject. But what they were really asking was, “At the end, are you going to give an invitation where the children can raise their hands or go forward?” which I never did. My preference was to offer to talk with anyone interested in the Gospel after the program. And many children came ... as a result of the Spirit’s work in their hearts. The Gospel is a compelling message on its own; it doesn’t need my help. Children are easily manipulated. They may go forward or raise their hands because their friends did so. … or because the teacher told them to? In a child’s eyes, the teacher is a person of authority. If the teacher says, “You need to do this,” then I need to do this. We have to be diligent in presenting Jesus so clearly that He alone is their motivation. Children are literal, concrete thinkers. When you ask a child, “Would you like to go to heaven?” Well, yes. The streets are made of gold, who wouldn’t want to go there? That motivation is outside of Jesus. The same is true presented the other way. If the motivation is to “avoid hell,” the motivation is still something other than Jesus. It’s not about where you can go to live forever in a mansion. Although these ideas are biblical, taking them out of context can be very damaging to a child’s understanding of the Gospel. How does this Gospel approach translate when a child grows older? As they mature, young adults can process more abstract concepts like faith. It’s often during high school and college years when students begin to make their faith their own. They often question their beliefs for the first time, and some encounter a crisis of faith that can be painful and difficult to resolve. They may have a memory of raising their hand or going forward to “go to heaven” or to “avoid hell,” but a less clearly defined notion of what exactly they put their trust in. Does hell have a place in the Gospel message? A lot has been said on this topic, especially in light of Rob Bell’s book Love Wins . I do not agree with his presentation of the Gospel or hell, but I do think we should consider whether emphasizing hell is the best approach for a Gospel message to children. Whenever we have the opportunity to minister to children, that time is best served by pointing them to Jesus and helping them understand who He is and what He has done. I don’t want to turn children into little Pharisees by giving them a formula to follow or to fear. It’s vital children see us adoring Christ as we retell His story in a way that He becomes more real to them than He was before. The Spirit uses the Word to reveal the Son to the heart of a child. And in that moment of simple worship, they recognize Jesus and His beauty and are utterly drawn to Him. The Gospel is indeed good news! Brandon Waltz is director of HeartSong Ministries at Cedarville University. He received his B.A. from Cedarville and his M.A. in educational ministries from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. He has been at Cedarville since 1990. Winter 2012 | TORCH 19