Children in Crisis / The Remaining Task

The Remaining Task

Almost one-third of the world’s population –nearly 2 billion people- is under the age of fifteen (U.S. bureau of census). Experts estimate that one billion children will be born in the next ten years, over 90 percent of them will live under very poor circumstances (U.N.)

 

 

The 10/40 window

Today mission is focused on the 10/40 window, the region where most unevangelised people groups of the world live. The concentration on this region and on people groups instead of on political nations have enabled the commission to advance in great steps. But there is another window--the 4/14 window.

The 4/14 window

Most people make a faith commitment between the ages of 4-14, in the U.S.A even up to 85% (George Barna, Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions, Regal. 2003)

There are many indications that this fact is also true outside the United States. This affirms the assumption that children and youths present "the most fertile field of the world". However, in our great and successful mission strategies we have mostly forgotten children--a forgotten people group.

Church planting

Modern-day missions also focus on church planting. Often children's work is neglected in this. But what if a group of street children gather together underneath a tree in a park in the center of the city or a number of former child prostitutes in a home, to pray, sing and hear from God's Word? Is that not a church? Perhaps we need to redefine our idea of church.

Every field will require a different strategy to integrate ROH ministry into their existing church or church-planting ministry. ROH's ministry is an excellent way of building bridges into society and a powerful means to open doors of opportunity to penetrate un reached people groups in closed countries or in places where overt Christian work is opposed or lacks credibility.

The importance of evangelizing children

Don Miller of Compassion International gives four reasons why evangelization of the "smaller half of the world" is so important:

• Biblical: God says about the Ten Commandments: Instruct your children. Ministry to children is an important part of the Ten Commandments.
• Statistical: Children's evangelization is important because children make up a great part of the worldwide population.
• Sociological: Children play different important roles in society--positive ones, but also negative ones. The majority of the 100-140 million street children in the world and the gangs in the inner-cities are turning into a plague of society and have to be reached with the Gospel.
• Strategic: When we reach the children, we can reach the entire society.
  (Street Children, Phyllis Kilbourn, MARC Publications, 1997

Patrick Johnston states that it is tragic that ministry to children is often overlooked and under resourced. "Our clear experience from places like South Korea is that if children's work is neglected you lose the next generation." In South Korea and parts of Latin America these children grow up estranged from the church and disillusioned. Growth turns into decline. Ignore children and sacrifice the future. (August 2004)

General Prayer For The Children

• For all whose childhood has been trampled on or snatched away, that millions of them will become children of God through the Lord Jesus, that God's grace and glory will be seen in them.
• For the Church, that it would grow and flourish among the broken and poor communities from whom children in crisis spring; and that all of us in the Church worldwide will awaken to the needs of the "little half."
• For politicians, that they will have wisdom and integrity in their decisions and actions.
• For the structures of care for children in crisis; that they will multiply and mature; that they will be more Christ-like; that they will be well-run and responsive to changing circumstances.
• For the well-being of those who work among children in crisis.
• For the sex-traders, pedophiles, corrupt officials and employers, the soldiers and everyone else who have wrecked children's lives, that many of them, too, will experience God's mercy and kindness for themselves.