Children's Catechesis: Inspiring Children to Share Their Faith

One of the fundamental tasks of catechesis, according to the General Directory for Catechesis, is “missionary initiation.”[i] We typically do not think of children as missionaries. Some might ask, “Why would we expect children to share their faith?” Children naturally talk about things that excite them. Whether we are young or old, when we have an encounter with Christ, we naturally want to share him with others. We see countless examples of this in Scripture, as people go and tell what Jesus has done for them (even, at times, when he has asked them not to.). So how do we as catechists prepare children to be missionaries? Here are seven keys to inspire children to share their faith and to equip them with the tools to do so.