The Cross

The Cross is the tool used in N.K. and L.I.T. to teach spiritual disciplines to children and preteens. The Cross is instrumental in helping believers evaluate their walk with Christ. When a person leaves out one of the important elements of the Cross, they miss out on God’s best for their life. Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 4:7, “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.” We have found that through teaching spiritual disciplines to children and preteens, their lives are rapidly transformed. The Cross teaches the following disciplines:

Lordship (Jesus is Lord):The most essential starting point for every believer is to totally surrender to Christ every day (Luke 9:23).

Prayer (Talk with God):There are many facets of prayer: worship, thanksgiving, supplication, confession, intercession, spiritual warfare, and more. The invitation is clear, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3). These are just a few of the spiritual disciplines of prayer N.K.s and L.I.T.s will learn.

Word of God (Read the Bible):God’s Word gives us solid biblical instructions for life. Teaching children the discipline of a daily quiet time is crucial for spiritual growth. They will learn to meditate on it, memorize it, study it, and apply it to their lives (James 1:22).

Evangelism (Tell Others):To be obedient to Christ and His “Great Commission,” one must learn how to share their faith and be faithful to do so on a regular basis (Matthew 28:19-20). Children and preteens learn practical ways to share the Gospel and become very effective in reaching their friends for Christ.

Gifts and Ministry (Service): Every Christian—including children—has spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit to build up the body of Christ. Part of helping children and preteens grow in their faith is to provide regular opportunities for them to serve within and outside of the church. The church is called to equip the saints of God for works of ministry to build up the body (Ephesians 4:11-12).

Life of Obedience: Jesus tells us, “If you love Me, you will keep My commands” (John 14:15, NAS). James tells us to be doers of the Word. Spiritual disciplines help children and preteens to obey as they learn. Obedience to Christ’s commands is essential. Many programs have children memorize Scripture and learn the discipline of memorization. True transformation comes from memorization, meditation, and application—doing what God commands (Romans 12:2).

You can learn much more through the N.K./L.I.T. Director or Leadership Handbook on how to teach spiritual disciplines to children and preteens.