Training Your Children to Be Soul Winners

Training your children to be soul winners is one of the most exciting and one of the greatest lessons a parent can ever teach. Take them with you on a regular basis and make soul winning a family activity every week. Never allow excuses! Be sure as parents that you love and teach, but never allow excuses. The children in the Wells family went soul winning from the time they were in the womb. When they were newborn, we carried them or pushed them in a baby stroller. When they learned to walk, we took them by the hand, and eventually, we all walked along together. Adjust your schedule; do whatever you have to do, but be consistent, be honest, and above all, be faithful.

SOUL WINNING WITH OUR FAMILY IS A MAIN FAMILY EVENT!!!

1. SOUL WINNING – A COMMAND

   • There is no reason to discuss whether to go soul winning or not.
   • Do not question Bible instructions for soul winning.
   • Pray and allow the Holy Spirit to guide and direct you to people.
   • Get over any prejudice you might have.
   • Prejudice is not up for discussion but is to be removed from one’s life.
   • God said it, and that settles it; now, it is time to obey.

2. SOUL WINNING – PART OF OUR SCHEDULE

   • From day one, put each child on a schedule for his or her 168 hours each week.
   • Adjust each child’s schedule as the child grows.
   • Dad and mom do the adjusting of the schedules, not the children.
   • Parents, watch and listen and you will know what changes need to be made in schedules.
   • Always be adding to schedules, helping children to grow.
   • Let children know this is serious and you expect much from them.
   • Teach that a schedule is for life–no drastic changes, just adjustments.
   • Adjustments such as:
     • Allowing teens to go on the teen soul winning bus.
     • Dad and son(s) can go alone together.
     • Mom and daughter(s) can go alone together.
     • As ages change, sisters and sisters, brothers and brothers, brothers and sisters can go soul winning together.
     • This will build a great relationship that will last for a lifetime.

3. SOUL WINNING – WE LEAD, THEY FOLLOW

   • Children are never too young to go soul winning.
   • If they cannot walk, then carry them or use a stroller.
   • Moms, never undermine rules and requests made by dad concerning soul winning.
   • As a mother, try to visualize your children as adults.
   • Have some goals and never lose sight of them.
   • When teen years come, don’t let other activities interfere with soul winning.
   • Any interference that comes along is not up for discussion.
   • Work hard to make children happy, secure, and wanting to follow.
   • Parents must set the example and be consistent.

4. SOUL WINNING – TOP PRIORITY

   • Parents must give children an example to follow.
   • Parents must be consistent in every area of life.
   • You get what you ARE, not what you WANT.
   • You get what you INSPECT, not what you EXPECT.
   • Ask each child about his or her soul winning experiences each time they go out.
   • Keep soul winning before the children, but do not place unreachable goals on them.
   • Make soul winning the number one family activity.

5. SOUL WINNING AND THE REAL WORLD

   • Be complete in Bible instruction on soul winning.
   • Expose children to every type of soul winning experience.
   • Never excuse or try to justify the people they meet or the places they go soul winning.
   • Do not condone bad language or street talk, but do not shield children from it.
   • Children must learn that we do not live in a fairytale world.
   • Let them see first hand how the devil really pays off a life not spent serving God.
   • Learn to insulate your children, but not to isolate them.
   • You are not raising a hothouse flower but hopefully a servant.

6. SLOWLY PLACE MORE BURDEN AND RESPONSIBILITY ON CHILDREN

   • When taking very small children, keep them with you to go soul winning.
   • Never send small children with older children.
   • Use the time while children are small as a teaching time:
     • To trust God for safety while out soul winning.
     • To increase their personal prayer life.
     • To increase their personal walk with the Lord.
     • To never be ashamed of their Lord, their church, or their preacher.
     • To know that soul winning is just THE DECENT THING TO DO.
   • Make adjustments as children grow.
     • Ask them to pray and allow God to lead them to people to talk to about the Lord.
     • Introduce the need to get converts to church.
     • Stress the need for baptism after they get converts to church.
     • Teach them how to sit with a convert in church; instruct them about getting the convert down the aisle and getting them baptized.
     • Transfer knowledge that this is their church too and they must invest in the ministry.
     • Do not allow any shortcuts in soul winning. Teach them to be thorough in dealing with people.
     • Teach them to be conscious of the needs of converts and encourage them to find a way to fill the need if they can.
     • Do not, as a parent, supply money or things for children to give to; teach them to pray.
     • There will be times as a family that a need can be cared for together.
     • Slowly, over time, each child will grow and have their own method or plan of being responsible for their converts.
     • When children reach adulthood, soul winning will be a very natural part of their everyday life if you have to train them from childhood.