One Sunday, I asked the children in my kids’ church to read Hebrews 10:1–4 with me. The passage is about Christ’s atoning sacrifice once for all.

It’s not an easy read. However, the moment was about more than reading comprehension. It was about the process of becoming Bible engaged.

“How many of you understand these verses?” I asked. “A few of you. Let’s stop and reflect. … What do you think the writer of Hebrews meant?”

After a long pause, one child suggested, “Sacrifice?”

Another raised a hand and interjected, “I know!” before trailing off with, “Never mind. I forgot.”

“I see a lot of hands are going down,” I said gently. “That’s OK. I chose this passage on purpose.”

I continued, “No matter how old you are, there will be things in the Bible you don’t completely understand. I don’t want you to be afraid of that or think you can’t read the Bible because of it. Instead, pray for God to help you know Him more through reading His Word. Let trust fill in the pieces you don’t understand.”

Bible engagement is vital to discipleship, and it should start early. Yet few Americans of any age are regularly reading Scripture on their own. According to American Bible Society’s 2022 State of the Bible report, just 26% of adults in the U.S. read the Bible at least weekly outside of church.

And the trend is moving in a concerning direction. In 2021, the share of adults reading the Bible at least weekly was 34%.

Why aren’t more Americans Bible engaged? There are likely a number of contributing factors, but I believe a key reason is a lack of intentional discipleship during the formative years.

Most children’s ministries do a great job of presenting the Bible in fun and memorable ways. However, unless we train children to interact with the Word of God, there is a good chance they won’t prioritize Bible reading later on.

A Bible-engaged adult typically starts as a biblically trained child. Children’s leaders have an opportunity to instill a love for God’s Word in the next generation. It begins with training hearts, heads and hands.

Hearts

The prophet Jeremiah said, “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty” (Jeremiah 15:16).

We can engage young hearts in the learning process by developing children’s ability to listen and reflect. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God.” God designed human hearts to know Him through His Spirit and His Word.

Consider including times of stillness in your kids’ services, reminding children to listen with their hearts to what God is saying. Naturally, they’re not going to behave like little adults while you expound on Scripture. But kids are capable of responding to moments that are about more than entertainment.

Plan a time during each service for kids to think about Scripture. Use introspective language — such as reflect, listen and rest — to describe this time together.

Have kids memorize Scripture and repeat it, without worrying about the immediate application.

Welcome the Holy Spirit’s presence, providing space for Him to speak.

Kids can open their hearts to God’s Word even if they don’t immediately understand it.

Unless we train children to interact with the Word of God, there is a good chance they won’t prioritize Bible reading later on.

Psalm 119 says, “I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word. … Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart” (verses 16,111).

As children’s leaders, we have the privilege of helping kids learn to delight in the Word of God. When that happens, Bible engagement becomes a joy, not a chore.

Heads

Rote knowledge of people, places and big ideas is just the beginning. Kids need opportunities to apply their learning, think for themselves, and hear from the Holy Spirit.

Pose questions that encourage critical thinking. Invite kids to ask questions about the lesson. Help them connect the dots from one week to the next by identifying themes in Scripture. Children won’t catch all the nuances, but they will grow in understanding.

Of course, we can’t just throw kids into the intellectual woods with no tools for navigating. The Bible is a big book. Help children gain the confidence to use it on their own.

This requires a mindset shift. Rather than just teaching Bible facts, the goal is promoting lifelong Bible engagement. Here are five ways to equip children for the journey:

1. Put Bibles in little hands. Continually expose children to physical copies of the Bible from an early age — even if they cannot read. Encourage them to hold and explore the Bible. Allow time for kids to flip through the pages, see the illustrations, and stumble over words.

2. Make the text accessible. Kids are all over the spectrum when it comes to reading ability. The New International Reader’s Version (NIRV) is written at a third-grade level for easier reading. There are also a variety of storybook Bibles available for young children. Help early readers and non-readers by reading aloud to them. Use visuals, such as book illustrations, posters, cutouts, action figures, and digital images.

3. Provide structure. Give kids a Bible reading plan. Whether the goal is reading a daily verse or reading through an entire book of the Bible together, a framework makes it more manageable and gives children a sense of accomplishment. It also makes it easier for parents to get involved.

4. Build slowly. As part of each lesson, give kids small portions of Scripture to read independently. Over time, encourage them to take on longer passages.

5. Practice locating Scriptures. Divide kids into pairs or teams and have them race to look up Bible texts by chapter and verse. Ask adult volunteers to assist if needed. This time-honored exercise, often referred to as a sword drill, is a fun way to help children learn to navigate the Bible.

Hands

Finally, encourage kids to put the Bible’s lessons into action by serving God and others.

Talk about the Bible’s teachings regarding Kingdom work. Then provide opportunities for children to use their gifts. For example, kid volunteers can help lead worship, pray, pass out snacks, and greet visitors.

Outside of church, kids can live out Scripture by telling their friends about Jesus, honoring their parents, practicing kindness, and extending forgiveness.

As Paul reminded Timothy, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

Of course, children’s leaders aren’t ultimately the ones who will make the Bible relevant to the next generation. That is the work of the Holy Spirit, who makes God’s Word alive and active in hearts and minds, guiding believers into all truth as they live it out day to day (John 16:13; Hebrews 4:12).

Yes, make kids’ church fun. Yes, keep it lively and age-appropriate. In all of that, however, don’t lose sight of the priority for making disciples who are Bible engaged and Spirit-led — for a lifetime.

When Bible engagement grows among our children, it will change more than just statistics. It will change the world.

This article appears in the Summer 2022 edition of Influence magazine.