Watch: Link to The Bridge Illustration for Kids

Use and draw out the Bridge Illustration to talk about Salvation with your kids.

1. The Problem (Sin): Say this: “God made you and loves you perfectly! But.. there is a problem called sin. Sin is when we do things that go against God’s perfect way, like being unkind or disobeying.”

Open your Bible and read this: Romans 3:23 (NIV) - "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Draw this: Draw two cliffs with a big gap in the middle. Write "Us" on one side and "God" on the other. Our sin creates a gap we can't cross on our own.

2. The Consequence: Say this: “Because God is perfectly holy, our sin separates us from Him. The Bible says the "payment" for sin is being away from God forever. Oh no! This is bad news, wouldn’t you say?”

Read this:Romans 6:23 (NIV) - "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord". text goes here

3. The Rescue (Jesus): Say this: “God didn't want to be away from you, so He sent Jesus to rescue us! While we were still making mistakes, Jesus died in our place to pay for our sins.”

Read this:Romans 5:8 (NIV) - "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us".

Draw this: Draw a Cross that connects the two cliffs. Jesus is the bridge that brings us back to God. This is good news!

4. Our Response (Faith): Say this: To cross the bridge, we have to trust Jesus as our leader and Savior. It is a free gift we receive by faith, not by being "good enough".

Read this: Romans 10:9 (NIV) - "If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

5. Prayer: Say this: If you are ready to follow Jesus, we can talk to Him right now.

Example Prayer: "Dear Jesus, I realize that I’m a sinner and I need you to rescue me. Thank you for dying on the cross and raising to life. I want you to be the leader of my life and I want to grow to know you. Amen!"

If you walked through this with your child, CELEBRATE! Way to go, parent! You just led them to see their need for Jesus in their life. You’ve done your part by planting a seed and you can continue to ‘water’ that planted seed by growing in Christ.

We grow in Christ in various ways! For you that might be attending church regularly, reading your Bible, or prayer. (see below)

Remember, your job is to plant the seed and water it, but it’s God’s job to do the growth. Continue to pray and trust God for His leading in your kid’s life!

Need help with this conversation? Let us know with this form & schedule a meeting/call with a Pastor or Kids Ministry Leader!

Upcoming baptism dates and registration can be found at this link.

Water Baptism is proclaiming Jesus as the leader of your life and a moment for others to see a picture of the freedom and joy that Jesus offers.

It’s a public celebration of an internal change.

Baptism a ‘Next Step’ in your faith and pursuit of Knowing God as well as "thank you" to God for the gift of salvation.

• Say this: “Baptism is a beautiful picture of what Jesus did for us. When a person goes under the water and comes back up, it’s like being buried and then raised to life - like Jesus did! It tells the world that the "old, sinful you" is gone and you have a brand-new life IN Jesus. It doesn’t save us. It shows that we have been saved.

• Read this together: Romans 6:3-4.

• Say this: “Here’s an example… Think about a pickle! A cucumber becomes a pickle by staying in vinegar until it changes completely. When we are "baptized" into Jesus, we are saying we want to stay so close to Him that His character becomes our character. We want His "flavor" to be ours! When we’re baptized, we’re kind of like a pickle too - a brand new creation.. IN Christ!”

• Ask your child: Why are you excited to show everyone that you belong to Jesus?

Check out our upcoming baptism dates and register at this link.

Need a Bible? Request one for free here.

Reading the Bible is all about Knowing God and fueling a relationship with Him.

• Say this: The Bible is God’s Word for you. You can trust it’s right and true! Think of it like a lamp to guide you in the darkness. It is the primary way we get to know God’s heart and hear His voice. When we read it, we are looking for information about God AND meditating on His truth so it can change how we live.

• Read this together: Psalm 119:105.

• Ask your child: “I love learning about this. How can we make time this week to read God's Word together and listen to what He wants to tell us?”

• Action: Start this 4-day Bible Reading Plan on the YouVersion app together: How Do I Follow Jesus?

Family Bible Plan: How to Talk to God - A 5-Day Reading Plan for Kids

Step 1: Fill-in-the-blank Prayers (For Beginners)

If you or your child is new to praying, start with fill-in-the-blank prompts. Prayer is about a personal conversation with our Heavenly Father. Starting this way is a simple shift that builds kid’s confidence so they start to think, "I can do this! I can pray!"

Try these 3 examples:

1. “God in Heaven, I think you are sooo _________. Amen!” (Holy, awesome, kind)

2. "God, I’m thinking of all the wonderful places I went today. Thank you so much for ________!" (Place)

3. "Jesus, someone who needs your love right now is ________. Please help them in their time of need.”

4. "God, I am SO glad that you created ________." (Person)

Read this: 1 Thessalonians 5:17 — "…Pray continually."

• Ask your child: "You did it! God loves it when we talk to Him like that. Hmm.. Can you think of ONE thing or ONE person you are SO thankful for today? Let’s pray together and thank God again!"

Step 2: "High/Low" Prayers (Elementary Age) This is a great dinner table or bedtime rhythm. It helps kids see that God cares about their happy moments AND their hard moments.

• Say this: "God loves us and wants to hear about the best part of our day and the toughest part of our day. Nothing is too small for Him."

• Read this:1 Peter 5:7 (NIV) - "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

• Ask your child: "What was your 'high' today? Let's thank God for it. What was your 'low' today? Let's ask Him for help with it."

Step 3: 5 Finger Prayers (Growing in Faith): Use your hand as a map to remember who to talk to God about.

Resource: Download & print our 5 Finger Prayer Guide here.

• Thumb (Thanks): Thank God for your family, food, and home.

• Pointer (Praise): Tell God how awesome He is! Use words like Holy, King, or Creator.

• Middle (Sorry): Ask for forgiveness for mistakes or times you disobeyed.

• Ring (Ask): Ask God to help.

• Pinky (Safety): Ask the Lord to protect your family and deliver us from temptations.

Prayer Resource for Families

We want to provide you with practical tools to keep the conversation going throughout the week. Check out this family-friendly prayer guide from the Bible App for Kids to help your child develop a daily habit of talking with God.

Link: How to Talk to God - A 5-Day Reading Plan for Kids

The story doesn't end today. We all have a next step to take!

Come to church on a Sunday or Wednesday: Renovation Kids services are designed for kids in Kindergarten through sixth grade. Every week, your child will grow in Christ through engaging Bible stories, small group time with consistent, Christian leaders, learning how to pray, and do scripture memory. Learn more!

Upcoming Events: Core memories are SO important in a child’s faith! Check the Kids Ministry Calendar for upcoming events like Kids Camp, Vacation Bible School, and more to see where your family can get involved!