Teaching our children about God and the Bible does not have to be complicated. Follow along as I take you through a framework for what you should teach and how you should teach to disciple your child ages 6-9. Let us work together to train our families in the ways of the Lord, no matter how old our children are so we will all be Biblically-Minded Families!
What should we teach to disciple a child ages 6-9 years old?
1. Teach your child about God the Father, Son (Jesus) and Holy Spirit.
God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit are just one God in three persons. It is referred to as the Trinity. While the word Trinity does not appear in the Bible, there are many places that refer to God being one of three persons. In the Creation account of Genesis, God says, “Let us make man in our image.” This shows that the Godhead is more than just one person.
2. Teach them that talking to God is called prayer.
Prayer is a privilege for us as believers. Jesus longs to hear us talk to Him and to bring everything to Him in prayer, whether it is big or small.
3. Teach your children about sin, the payment for sin, and how he/she can accept Jesus as Savior.
Children can easily point out sin all around them — from things they see on TV to people they see on the streets to even peers on the playground. Therefore, they are now at the age that they need to be taught about what their sin cost Jesus on the cross.
4. Teach them that God gave us a special book, the Bible.
The Bible is God’s love letter to us. We need to read it, care for it, and study it daily so we can learn more about God and His character. Memorizing the Bible needs to be a habit for Christians.
5. Teach them that God gave us parents and put us in a family.
The father is the head of the family, the mother is the helper, and the children are under her care. It is through the family that we learn to love each other and learn to obey God and our parents.
6. Teach them God gave us friends as a gift for us to care for.
We must love them, share with them, and be generous to them. Getting along with peers, can be a challenge. Teaching your children that friends are a gift from God can be rewarding and valuable to them for life.
7. Teach them that God desires us to be good stewards of our money.
Money is one of the top subjects that Jesus teaches about in the Scriptures. Consequently, how we use money can be an indication of the condition of our hearts.
How should we teach these things in order to disciple a child ages 6-9 year old?
1. Use sentences and phrases that they can just fill in the blanks.
When children are younger (ages 2-5), start with small sentences that the children can remember and fill in the blanks, but by the time your child is 6-9 years old, discipling them should advance as they are developing. Begin asking them questions with set answers, which are called catechisms in many Christian circles. Catechisms are a systematic way for us to introduce theology (the study of God), bibliology (the study of the Bible), and Christology (the study of Christ) to our children as building blocks for their faith. These phrases and sentences can be rehearsed daily and incorporated into your routines. Print out a list of catechisms (https://thewestminsterstandard.org/the-kids-catechism/) or buy a book of them to keep on the dining table (here). During mealtimes, rehearse the ones that you have learned while incorporating others as you see mastery.
Here are a few examples:
Q. Who made you?
A. God made me. (Genesis 1-2)
Q. What else did God make?
A. God made all things. (Genesis 1-3)
Q. Why did God make you and all things?
A. God made me and all things for His own glory. (Isaiah 43:7)
Q. How can you glorify God?
A. I can glorify God by loving Him and doing what He commands.
Q. Are there more gods than one?
A. There is only one God. (Exodus 20; James 2:19)
It is important to use this time to teach your children where the answers for these questions are found in the Scriptures. If you don’t know that, do a little study before you introduce each catechism so you will be prepared. I like using this method for teaching because it shows your children that asking questions about God is normal, and it helps them to see you as their spiritual mentor.
2. Have your child learn to care for his/her own Bible.
If you haven’t given your child a Bible already, I strongly suggest that you look for one that has age-appropriate stories. A child who is 6-9 years old does not need a board book for babies but one that has more substance and longer stories. Many in this age group are actually ready for a real Bible. I would suggest An Adventure Bible in the New International Readers Version (for younger readers). Children at this age like having their own things as well as mimicking what their parents are doing. Having a Bible that they have that is their own (like dad and mom) is a special way that you can build in their Christian heritage – they can read and study their Bibles like daddy and mommy.
The Bible isn’t just another book. The Bible is a treasure to us that needs to be cared for and memorized and studied. This is a perfect time for your little ones to practice taking care of their copy of the Scriptures by putting safely back on the shelf after it is read, cleaning the cover from fingerprints (or its even better to make sure hands are clean before each time you open it), and reading it daily. Even though my children have had favorite books growing up and have asked for me to read it to them until we both have it memorized (have you ever read My Friend Bear by Jez Alborough?), we have always tried to maintain the Word of God as our favorite book and the one that is our daily bread.
3. Read the Bible to them regularly.
Children of this age group still like to be read to by a caring parent, older sibling, or grandparents. It is a fun part of the day when you snuggle up on the couch with a good book in your hand. There isn’t a better book than the Bible to read to your children! While some of the words may be hard for them to understand, it is fine to continue to use a story book Bible to read the common and not as common stories that make God come alive in their minds.
4. Encourage your child to read the Bible each day.
Children in this age group are becoming good readers. While they may not be able to read as well as you can, they are making great strides in their abilities. Some of our children began to read the Bible on their own each day by selecting a chapter in Proverbs or a Psalms to read in the morning as their devotions. One way we did this was encouraging them to read the chapter that corresponds with the date for the day. If today is the 15th, then they would read the 15th chapter of Proverbs. This will create a daily rhythm for them to carry over into adulthood.
Some children at this age will also like to DO something with their reading, so it is for these children I would give a journal. First, they select a verse that was meaningful to them. Then they write the reference (Proverbs 15:1) at the top of the page. Finally, they copy that verse on to their page. Some children may even like to take it a step further and draw a picture that demonstrates the verse. This gets each child to really think about what they are reading, and it helps the verse stick with them a little more.
5. Use tools to demonstrate salvation.
When your children reach this age group, they are ready to understand more about Jesus and salvation. While they may already know the basics of how much Jesus loves them and that He died on the cross, they may not have had the Gospel of Salvation clearly demonstrated to them. It is important to keep these ideas concrete by using object lessons or visuals to help them understand.
One of my favorite ways to explain the Gospel to children (and adults) is to use an illustration of the chasm that exists between God and man. After drawing two land masses with a gulf between them, I label one side with GOD and label the other side MAN, adding a stick figure to it. I explain the gulf between us and the sin that separates man from our holy God. I use several Scriptures to explain this. After sharing the problem that exists, I tell them the Good News: Jesus came to be THE WAY for us to get to God. Then He died on the cross to be the bridge that enables repenting sinners to be saved through faith in Jesus.
It is our responsibility and privilege to teach our children about salvation and give them a chance to ask questions and respond to the Gospel. While some of our children responded to our invitation to accept Jesus’ free gift, others were not ready for several months, and we kept praying. For some children I would not recommend even giving them an invitation. They would want to please you by doing whatever you ask without a heart that is truly repentant. Tread cautiously and prayerfully.
6. Assist your child in memorizing the books of the Bible in order.
If we desire our children to read the Bible each day, it would be wise for us to help them learn the books of the Bible in order that they appear. This will make it much easier for them to find passages that they would like to read or to find the passage that they hear about in church on Sundays. There are many songs online that list the books of the Bible, and they are very helpful. But what I have found that really helps is daily repetition. We recite the books of the Bible as we are transitioning in our homeschool day from singing hymns to taking our seats for our Bible Time. Every child knows this is what we do, and it is a good transition from one task to another so they don’t get distracted from what we are doing.
7. Train your children to use their money wisely.
The Bible has no shortage of verses that talk about Christians and money. It is one of the most talked about principles in the Bible. To disciple your child ages 6-9 years old with concepts about money is foundational to their spiritual growth. They are beginning to have money of their own to manage and are beginning to understand the value that money has in their lives as well as in your home and society. This is a perfect time to give them Biblical wisdom about money.
When our children were this age, we gave them three jars — a “give” jar, a “spend” jar and a “save” jar. After labeling these jars we then talked about what they meant, so when they received money, they had three options to give, save, or spend what they had. First, we talked about the meaning of tithe and encouraged them to make giving to the Lord the first priority — giving to God the first fruits of what they had.
Secondly, they had a spend jar. They put money in this jar for the things that they wanted to spend for the next few weeks. It is a good idea to let them spend their money. There is no reason that mom has to buy everything that a child sees at Walmart or the Dollar Tree. If the children have money in their spend category, let them spend it, but you may find out that it is easier for them to spend your money than their own!
Lastly, they had added cash to the save jar, for bigger things that they wanted to have money for. Some children may be motivated to save for a new bike, a video game, an American Girl doll, or special new shoes.
As we look for ways to have Biblically-Minded families, teaching our children about money must be a priority. It is NOT something that they are going to be taught in school. They all are not going to magically be good at handling their money once they turn 18. Start now. Give them the responsibility and hold their hand in the process.
Every family is different so each child many have different amounts of money to sort through and organize. Some of our children wanted to spend every penny they had on the next trip to the Dollar Tree, while others wanted to save for bigger things or for Christmas presents for the family.
8. Encourage children to memorize Scripture.
Memorizing the Word of God should be one of the disciplines which are a part of every believer’s life. As we disciple children ages 6-9, Bible memory work should be part of our routine. Here are a few things to consider:
- Encourage your children to memorize common verses that many believers know. John 3:16, Romans 3:23, Psalm 23, Psalm 119:1, and I John 4:19 are a few that I would begin with.
- Use Bible memory verses in your discipline. One of my daughters really struggled with being truthful. It seemed that I couldn’t trust her to tell me anything without lying. When I got to that point, I needed to use Scripture to fight this stronghold in her life. I carefully and prayerfully selected two verses that I had her memorize with my help. She wrote them, recited them, and posted them on the wall in order to remember its truths. We also prayed through the verses. “God, we know that You hate lying lips, but You delight in lips that tell the truth. Please help me to be honest in what I say. I really want to make you proud of me and I want mommy and daddy to be able to trust me.”
- Give your children the opportunity to learn Scripture with other children. Currently my younger children are attending an AWANA club where they learn the Word of God and memorize verses with their peers. Our youngest is really enjoying learning the verses and then being rewarded with jewels and patches on his uniform. We love that he is really motivated! Go to www.AWANA.org for more information or to find a club near you!
- Find a family verse, one to have as a theme for the year or a theme for the life of your family. Post it around your home and have your whole family memorize it. Reciting it at mealtimes will become a special memory that you all will cherish.
In conclusion, these are just eight ways that we can disciple children ages 6–9-year-old in our Biblically-Minded homes. Don’t try to cram all of these into your daily rhythms. Start with one of them and then make a plan to begin implementing it in your home. Once that has taken root, begin with another principle. Being willing to take steps to renew your minds with the Word is a sign that you are becoming a Biblically-Minded Family! Congratulations!
WHICH ONE OR ONES OF THESE IDEAS HAVE YOU IMPLEMENTED IN YOUR HOME TO DISCIPLE YOUR CHILD AGES 6-9?
WHAT IDEAS DO YOU HAVE TO SHARE WITH OUR COMMUNITY?
PLEASE COMMENT BELOW SO WE CAN ALL DEVELOP INTO MORE BIBLICALLY-MINDED FAMILIES!
Do you have other children who are beyond the 6-9 year old stage or haven’t reached this stage yet? Check out the other stages of discipling children by looking for a particular age group under our Discipleship Tab. You can also click here.
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