As you know, if you’ve been reading, for quite some time, I’ve occasionally been running little installments called “Mama’s K.I.S.S.” I know that lots of readers could give many more and far more creative ideas than I can offer, but these installments are just a few tried and true and mostly old-fashioned ideas for putting service hearts in our kids. This is number 62 of a list of one hundred ways we train our kids to serve. K.I.S.S. is an acronym for “Kids In Service Suggestions”.
It’s just so obvious and valuable. Let your children start getting up in front of kind and gentle audiences at very young ages. (We’re talking toddlers here.) It all starts with one or two sentence speeches. “My name is Hannah and I love Jesus. Jesus loves me, too!” Then go from there.
If you try to get a ten-year-old up in front of an audience for the first time, it will be extremely difficult. but if it’s been a natural progression since age two, he will think nothing of it. Keep your girls in front of ladies at ladies’ night out or ladies’ day or just little devotionals in your home or with extended family. Use your home often for this purpose. (It’s a double win: developing hospitality and developing speaking skills!) It’s also a fantastic opportunity to bring older mentors into the lives of children. Go visiting and take along your children to do their little speeches for the elderly in your congregation. Those hugs and notes of encouragement will help the generations on both sides of you to be encouraged and to keep striving.
Don’t be shy. There were many occasions when I was speaking at a ladies’ day and just asked if I could bring Hannah along and give her three minutes of my allotted speaking time. Ask your ladies’ class if a couple of your little girls can come in and give their little presentations. Ask your elders’ wives if they can meet you in a classroom after worship for a little speech. Take full advantage of the Lads to Leaders program if it is available to you and make the speech category a priority. 
What’s the point of this? Public speaking is a very valuable skill and this is the best way to develop it. But the point is larger than a skill. It’s a preparation for bravery in speaking to people about spiritual things. It’s about souls. It’s developing hearts that are comfortable with evangelism. It’s about preparing little people to bring souls around them to the throne!
Have a great week for Him!
