On Sunday morning I was walking through the kindergarten classroom and all of the kids were sitting at tables, with the leaders, working on an art project. I love listening to the conversations, seeing the artwork, and most importantly seeing the relationships develop between kids and leaders during these times.

As I was walking through the classroom, one little girl turned to her leader and in a very non-chalant manner said, “I read my Bible every night before I go to bed.” The leader responded, as talking to a close friend, “Yeah, me too. What have you been reading?” The conversation continued with the ease and familiarity that develops in a genuine friendship and the leader eventually shared that she had recently been reading about Abraham and Isaac. She shared what she had been learning from that reading and how God was working in her life.

While it may seem so simple, it’s moments like those that can’t be written into curriculum or scripted out for volunteers, but yet are so valuable.  These are the moments and the relationships that we pray will develop because seeds are planted in kids’ hearts as they see faith lived out in an adult’s life.

I think that conversation was incredibly valuable for several reasons:

First, whether you are a parent, volunteer, spouse, or friend – share what you’re reading in the Bible and what God is teaching you. At the end of my day, it’s easy for me to detail to my husband what I ate for lunch, a conversation I had with a friend, and exactly what I worked on, but not nearly often enough do I share what God did in my life that day.  Especially if you’re a parent, don’t just ask your kids what they’re learning at church on Sunday mornings, but share with them what you’re learning and reading. If you’re a volunteer, don’t just ask the questions of the kids, but take the time to answer the questions. Share what you’re thinking and learning so that kids can hear about your faith and see it played out in your life.

Second, we believe that relationships with others are an essential component of spiritual growth. For volunteers, a huge part of Sunday morning is developing meaningful relationships with the kids that you serve. Kids are often willing and ready to share all the details of their lives with you, but don’t forget to share your life with them. It’s important that those relationships are two-sided. Share with kids about your life so that they see you have a faith and relationship with God outside the boundaries of Sunday morning. This will help kids to see that church isn’t just something you “do” on Sunday morning, but a relationship with God overflows into every activity, conversation, and relationship in your life.

By sharing with kids what you’re learning in your Bible study or what God has been teaching you through a difficult circumstance, you’re demonstrating and modeling what a relationship with the Creator of the universe looks like on a day-to-day basis.  It’s messy and not always easy, but we can all learn from the experiences and faith of those around us.

Jesus warns us not to be hypocrites who show up at church on Sundays just to check it off of the list or make sure we’re seen by our friends. If faith is just something we “do” on Sunday morning or just talk about on the ride home from church, kids get exactly that message –a relationship with God is something we can compartmentalize to one little morning a week.

Share what you’re reading, what you’re learning, how you’ve seen God present in your life, what you’re praying for, and prayers that God has answered.  My guess is that as we naturally engage in more conversations like these with kids, friends, and spouses, our eyes are going to be opened to God’s hand in our lives more and more.