4 Tips for Sharing the Gospel with Kids at Easter

Christ died for sins once and for all time. The One who did what is right died for those who don't do right. He died to bring you to God. His body was put to death. But the Holy Spirit brought Him back to life.  (1 Peter 3:18 NIV)

That is the story of Easter! That is the glorious gospel! And it is our privilege to share this good news with the kids in our children’s ministries! Here are 4 tips for sharing the gospel with kids at Easter.

1. Prepare for a Gospel Presentation

Prepare your volunteers – Offer your volunteers some training in how to share the gospel with kids. This training should include tips in words and phrases that children understand, questions to ask that will give insight into children’s understanding, and tools to use such as tracts or methods like the Romans Road.

Prepare the parents – Let the parents know that you are sharing the gospel with the kids over Easter and give them resources to use at home as they discuss the Easter story and share the gospel with their kids.

Prepare the kids – Finally, prepare the kids for the gospel presentation. In the weeks leading up to Easter, teach them about the holiness of God and the sinfulness of people. Teach them about Jesus who is the perfect Son of God. In order to understand the gospel, kids need to also understand what sin is and that God had a plan for saving sinners.

2. Be Intentional about Weaving the Gospel into the Story of Jesus' Death and Resurrection.

When you tell the story of Jesus death and resurrection to the children in your ministry, include the gospel. Children will not understand why Jesus had to die if we don’t tell them about God’s holiness and people’s sinfulness and Jesus’ atoning sacrifice. When we share the truth of the gospel, we give the kids something to really celebrate Easter morning.

3. Educate the Children about Easter

It’s important not to make assumptions about what children understand. Especially when it comes to symbols, it’s important to explain what they mean to children. The cross is probably the biggest symbol of Easter. Children will recognize a cross having seen it in churches, on necklaces, etc., but it is unlikely that children will understand what it symbolizes. Explain simply that a cross helps us to remember that Jesus is our Savior. When you explain what it means that Jesus is our Savior, you are sharing the gospel. Tell children that when we see a cross, it helps us remember that Jesus died to take away our sins; Jesus saved us from our sin; Jesus is our Savior.

There are a lot of activities connected with Easter that don’t have anything to do with the gospel or Jesus’ death and resurrection. Talk with your kids about the activities and stories of Easter that are true and those that are fun but not related to Jesus or the gospel (ex. Easter bunny and egg hunts.)

4. Choose Gospel-centered Activities

There are many activities connected with Easter. Many of these activities do not focus on Jesus or the life-changing message of the gospel. Turn those activities into gospel-centered activities.

At Christmas, it is quite common to see Nativity sets in homes and at churches. Nativity Sets highlight the true meaning of Christmas and if they are child-friendly, allow children to interact with the story. Something similar can be done for Easter. Make a diorama of the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection. There is a great deal to be learned by making the key characters with your children and using them to tell the story over Easter weekend. You may choose how many characters are necessary for your ministry based on your children’s ages and how detailed you want your re-enactment to be. You can create your characters and set with play dough, clay dough, cardboard, etc. A basic set would include Jesus, a cross, a couple of guards, a tomb with stone, and an angel.

If you choose to have an egg hunt, you could hide plastic eggs with verses or symbols of Easter within them. After the verses have been found, gather together to read or talk about the significance of each. A few of them could be left empty as well, as a reminder of the empty tomb. A few treats mixed in will also be appreciated.

As you are planning crafts and games to play, take time to think about what the game or craft focuses on. Don’t be afraid to change or refine them to highlight a gospel theme. Redeem the craft or game you are playing by using the opportunity to share the gospel.

There are many activities to offer children over Easter. Take the time to plan gospel-centered activities that will provide children with more than just a fun time.

Don’t miss the opportunity to share the gospel with kids this Easter! Give them something to celebrate!