In church everyone should get to play. Everyone should have a relationship with Jesus. We all want our kids to develop in their relationship, but sometimes helping our kids to hear Jesus can feel less supported and more instructed. We want to help our kids hear from God for themselves, as well as inviting them into prayer together.
You might hear this instruction if you asked kids how to pray. They might describe the stereotypical actions of praying; hands together, say “Dear God”, finish with “Amen”, kneel… Instead of feeling like they are praying at God, we want our kids to have conversations with Him.
So how can we do that? Here at Sutton Vineyard Church we are using Chat and Catch to invite our kids to talk to God, understand their experience and develop in their relationship with Jesus.
What is chat and catch?
Chat and Catch is a prayer technique which helps kids develop their conversations with God, what God is telling them and how it makes them feel.
It was created by Rachel Turner of Parenting for Faith.
The concept is simple. Chat and catch resembles everyday conversations. You talk, chat, and you listen, catch.
Just like in everyday life, people can tell you things in different ways; words, emotions, body language, actions…
And you can hear things in different ways too; hearing, feelings, sensations…
When we chat to God, we encourage our kids to speak to Him as they would to their friends and family. This means not telling them what to say or how to say it, but to say how they feel in a way that suits them.
When we catch from God, we are supporting them in recognizing and responding to God’s voice in whatever form that takes. This helps to turn their prayer from a monologue into a dialogue, from an individual experience into a conversation with God.
How can we help kids know when God is talking to them?
As adults we know God can talk to us in different ways at any time. For kids who are still learning about themselves and their relationship with the world around them, recognizing these different ways can be difficult.
In chat and catch we support them to understand what and when God is talking to them through what they see, think and feel.
Sometimes we can physically feel God is in the room with us or really close, or feel His touch as he speaks to us. We may see images and pictures in our mind as we read something or hear someone speak. God may talk to us in our dreams, or make us feel as if He is speaking to us. We may become overwhelmingly joyful, loved, or peaceful. God may even appear to us, so we can see or hear Him.
We want to help our kids to recognize and learn that we can hear from and feel God in lots of different ways, and that is no ‘absolutely correct’ way to pray or talk to Him.
It’s also important for us to teach them that sometimes it can be difficult to hear from God, understand what He is saying or if He is even speaking at all. We encourage the kids to share what they think they have heard from God with a trusted grown up. We can then encourage them that good, kind messages which are in line with what the Bible tells us about God may be something they have caught from God. We also can gently remind them that God is a good, loving Father and anything that is unkind, hurtful or worrying is most likely not coming from God.
What can kids chat to God about?
Chat and catch isn’t about getting our kids to pray about anything in particular. We want them to feel encouraged to continue their conversations with God, speaking AND listening, and to develop their relationship with Him.
You can encourage kids to chat about lots of different topics, for example:
How was your day? What went well? What didn’t go so well?
What makes you feel worried and why?
What is something that makes you proud?
What are you thankful for?
What is something or someone that makes you feel loved?
Who are your friends? What are they like?
What are your favourite things and why?
What makes you feel safe?
What’s a part of the Bible you really like? What’s a part of the Bible you don’t like?
The list is endless! The important thing is encouraging them to start and continue their conversation with God.
How can kids ask to hear from God?
Just like chatting to God, asking God to hear from Him helps kids to understand that their relationship with Him goes both ways.
You can help kids to hear from God by suggesting questions like:
God, if you were going to play a game with me today, what game would you play? Why?
Is there anyone you think I should be praying for today?
Is there anything I should be thankful for today?
What makes you happy, God? What makes you sad?
Is there anything you would like me to help change? How can I help?
Is there anyone I should be especially kind to today?
Asking God these kinds of questions means kids can become more invested in their conversations with Him, and to better understand how and when He is talking to them.
Chat and Catch is an amazing tool for us to use in supporting our kids’ relationship with God. It helps us to teach them about how God can talk to them, how it makes them feel, what they can talk to Him about, and how conversations of every kind help them to know more about themselves and their place in the world.
If you have any questions about chat and catch, please feel free to drop me an email at kids@suttonvineyard.org!
Lily Broadbent,
Children & Families Pastor