Knowing Your Preschooler (part 3)

Spiritual Characteristics
Children at this age
• have a growing sense that God is very special and real rather than pretend.
• tend to have a very literal concept of God, perhaps as a “grandfather” figure who lives “up there.”
• readily accept what you say about God.
• sense that God loves them and cares for them.
• enjoy some Bible stories, especially about Jesus; want stories retold often.
• can develop attitudes of love and trust toward Jesus and God.
• do not yet have a built-in control (conscience) that nudges them toward right behavior for its own sake; do the “right thing” out of fear of punishment or to win approval.
• sense that “church” is a good place to be..
• recite simple prayers ; in some cases may add own ideas to “form” prayers.
Tips for Leaders
• Above all, let the children know that God loves them and cares for them; teach this in the context of common childhood experiences with which the children can identify.
• Let these little ones sense your own wonder and awe about who God is and what God has done.
• Focus on attitudes and actions that exhibit faith.
• When do you teach religious concepts, keep them simple and few: (God loves us; we love and obey God; God is good; Jesus is God’s own Son); repeat them often.