Children have gifts too!

Jane Butcher

What do you want to be when you grow up?

This is a question we often ask children. I guess the most common responses among young children might include: teacher, nurse, policeman/woman and fireman. As a child grows older their choices may change as they start to discover where their areas of interest and abilities lie.

As adults, there are various means to explore just what special talents are: a number of 'skills tests' are available in the Christian and in the secular world. Having done some myself, I have found them to be beneficial both as an individual and as a part of a team. In a former post, our entire staff team completed one and spent time together looking at the outcomes. Not only did we learn a lot about each other and the way in which we worked best but it gave us confidence and empowered us to grow in our roles, allowing us to work more effectively as a team.

But do we encourage our children in this? Children are bursting with gifts and abilities but how do we and do they discover what these are? And how do we allow them to use these gifts?

Back in 2009, Paul Lindsay from Christian Vocations adapted their original adults gifting questionnaire and produced one for children. We ran this is part of the Kids Zone at the Keswick Convention. It was well received with many children ranging from aged six years and upwards completing the online questionnaire. Once the questions have been answered, the program summarises the responses and produces an easy-to-read graph highlighting each person's strongest areas of gifting and where and how these might be used.

Fnd out more or to take the free online test.

or go to the Christian Vocations homepage.

Click on the 'test yourself' tab.

Go down to 'kids have gifts too'.

So, back to the original question: what do you want to be when you grow up?

Recently I saw in a shop the following: 'Growing old is inevitable... growing up is optional'. Let's help our children to grow up as followers of Jesus and make good choices with the gifts that he has given them. And let us as leaders and churches encourage our children to discover and use those gifts now.

Footnote:

In Junior Heroes by John Hardwick, Barnabas, there is material to explore the lives of some of the children in the Bible who certainly did discover their gifting under God and made a big difference in his name: people such as Samuel, David, Naaman's servant girl, Josiah and the boy with his five loaves and two small fish for example. This book is available as a PDF download.

Click on the covers for further information or to purchase.