We want Small Group Leaders to pray with kids, right? But do we take the time to teach them how?

Often the most overlooked opportunity by Small Group Leaders (SGLs) is simply praying with the kids. I’ve led my fair share of small groups so I know sometimes it can get busy, wild, and loud very quickly. Most SGLs are simply concerned with maintaining order and getting through all the steps required to get them to the end of their time together. It’s not that they don’t care about praying with kids; they simply forget. Or if they happen to remember, prayer becomes a tool to get the group to be still and quiet if only for 30 seconds.

But, what if…? What if our SGLs prayed with kids in a deliberate way? What if the SGL, or better yet the kids, spent time journaling the prayers of their group, and celebrated the answers? What if the SGL would be willing to skip other elements if a heavy prayer request was made so that ministry could happen in the small group environment?

I’ve been convicted that maybe I’m not expecting enough from those that lead our kids in small groups. Maybe I’m hindering them all by teaching them the basic elements of small group leadership but leaving out the one thing that will help transform a child’s life: the ability to help a kid hear God’s voice.

Do you have any testimonies of SGLs that are teaching prayer to kids in a real and relevant way?

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Jonathan Cliff

Jonathan Cliff is a huge advocate for families and believes that the family can be God's primary way of reaching the world that they live in. Jonathan and his wife, Starr, have a full house with two sons, Ryan and Dylan, and one daughter, Lauryn. They have also served as foster parents for many kids over the years, and have a great passion for broken families being restored.

Latest posts by Jonathan Cliff (see all)

• The Time is Now - October 20, 2015
• Answering the Why Questions - January 27, 2015
• Getting the “New Kid” to Open Up - August 21, 2014