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CHILDREN'S MINISTRY
Appropriate Language
by O. Suthern Sims, Jr.
While it is vital that children learn to use the language of faith, many of the problems associated with [teaching children] may be attributed to the use of this language. The words used are often not within the understanding of children. It is possible to use metaphors, idiomatic speech, parables, and symbolism within children’s [stories], but these forms of language are misused when the assumption is made that children have the same comprehension abilities and the same experiences as adults. Words familiar to adults are often not understood by children unless placed into concrete contexts. It takes practice and careful planning to share the language of faith on a level children can understand.
The cardinal sin in communicating with children is to assume they understand the meaning of adult words, phrases, and sentences. Even though the children may use the word “mother” and the presenter uses the same word, the meaning of “mother” is far richer in meaning to the presenter. The multiple meanings of the word come from the different experiences and contexts of the adult presenter.
Children can amaze us with their vocabularies, but it is a mistake to believe that just because they can use the word “essential” correctly in one context, they also understand when the presenter discusses the “essentialness of love in the Christian faith.” That phrase contains at least four words that are bathed in abstractness: essential, love, Christian, and faith. In order to communicate effectively the meaning of these words to children, it is necessary to know what these words mean to them and in what context.
Communication theory teaches that in order to communicate effectively with another person, the “receiver” of the message must have the same meanings for the words, contexts, and experiences as the “sender.” If this pairing is not present, the message is either misunderstood or not understood at all. This truth is never more evident than in children’s sermons when the vocabulary of faith is often used by the presenter. And there is no vocabulary more abstract than that of the church.
It is also a mistake to assume that the language of children is more simple than that of adults when it may actually be more complex and more expressive. Children respond to colors, sounds, shapes, and gestures along with verbal behavior. Remember, children’s feelings are very much like those of adults, but their thought processes are quite different.
—From Creating and Leading Children’s Sermons: A Development Approach by O. Suthern Sims, Jr.
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