4 Spaces Where Kids’ Faith Can Grow

Discipleship flourishes when kids feel safe, loved, and like they truly belong. That’s why understanding the impact of our spaces really matters!

In one of the sessions of the Next Level Discipleship training programme, we explore four spaces where faith can grow: Intimate, Personal, Social, and Public.

When we’re intentional about these spaces, we create environments where kids and families feel valued—and ready to grow in their faith.

In The Search to Belong, Joseph Myers talks about these four spaces of belonging. And when we look at Jesus’ life, we see He modelled every one of them perfectly! Let’s explore what this looks like in Kids’ Ministry and how we can make room for discipleship in all four spaces.

In This Article

• The four spaces where kids’ faith can grow

• How Jesus modelled belonging through relationships

• Why each space matters for discipleship in Kids’ Ministry

• Questions to help you reflect on the spaces in your ministry

Intimate Space: Jesus and “The Three”

Jesus didn’t just spend time with crowds—He also invested deeply in a few close friends.

Matthew 17 v. 1-2: After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.

This intimate space is where deep trust grows. Jesus shared special moments with Peter, James, and John, helping them experience a closer relationship with Him.

In Kids’ Ministry, this is where big questions, deep conversations, and powerful prayer moments can happen. It’s a space for reflection, listening to God, and real transformation.

This might look like:

• One-to-one conversations

• Small groups

• Prayer moments

One beautiful example I have of this was when an older church member wanted to support Kids’ Ministry but couldn’t serve regularly due to health challenges. At the same time, a young person was asking lots of big questions about Jesus and the Bible.

With parental permission and safer recruitment in place, the two were paired together. Once a week, they spent an hour and a half on the phone reading the Bible, asking questions, and praying together.

The results?

The young person grew in confidence and went on to lead in other areas of church life.
The older lady discovered her own faith growing deeper—and even encouraged others her age to do the same!

The intimate space also reminds us how important it is to partner with parents and carers, supporting them as they nurture faith at home where these deeper conversations can continue.

Personal Space: Jesus and the Twelve

Matthew 10 v. 1: Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

This space is where Jesus spent most of His time—training, teaching, encouraging, and doing life with the twelve disciples.

This personal space is hands-on and relational:

• Mentoring

• Encouragement

• Learning together

Jesus shared meals, prayed with His disciples, laughed with them, and answered their questions (even the confusing ones!). Some things they didn’t understand at the time—but that didn’t stop the relationship growing.

Sound familiar? That’s a lot like Sunday Kids’ Ministry!

This space on a Sunday gives kids the chance to be known, supported and guided in their faith journey.

This can be done through:

• Chatting over juice and snacks

• Hearing about the highs and lows of the week

• Reading the Bible together

• Exploring questions about faith

Jesus gives us the perfect example of how powerful this personal space can be.

Social Space: Jesus and the Seventy-Two

Jesus didn’t stop with the twelve—He widened the circle. He went on to create a network of disciples.

Luke 10 v. 1: After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.

The social space is where belonging grows through shared experiences.

In Kids’ Ministry, this could look like:

• Outreach events

• After-school clubs

• Schools’ ministry

• Family activities

These spaces help kids and families feel included and connected—both within the church and beyond it. They’re welcoming, fun, faith-filled environments where friendships form and families can encounter church in a safe, joyful way.

Public Space: Jesus and the Masses

Wherever Jesus went, crowds followed! These were big, energetic moments where people gathered to hear about God.

Mark 6 v. 32-34: So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

Public spaces are where we gather the crowd with energy and vision. They are the high evangelistic spaces:

• Church-wide gatherings

• Seasonal events

• Large outreach celebrations

In Kids’ Ministry, these events build excitement and help children and families see they’re part of something bigger. They are a catalyst to build momentum and get everyone on the same page. It creates a space for people to hear God’s word and how it relates to their everyday life.

While public spaces aren’t for deep, personal discipleship, they are a space to enable faith to begin, grow and expand.

They:

• Set the tone

• Build momentum

• Spark curiosity about God

• Create opportunities for discipleship to grow later

Every Space Matters

Every space matters. Each one plays a unique role in helping kids grow in faith.

Take a moment to reflect:

• What do these spaces look like in your setting?

• Are there any spaces you don’t currently use?

• Could God be inviting you to create something new?

If you’d like to explore this more, check out our Next Level Discipleship programme:

👉 www.alivekids.co.uk/consultancy/
📧 karen@alivekids.co.uk

Let’s create great spaces—where kids belong, grow in faith, and become all God has made them to be.

Karen Hewish is the Children’s Ministry Development Lead for ALIVE. Karen has over 30 years of experience in Kids’ Ministry, working in a wide range of both volunteer and paid roles, including most recently overseeing Kids & Families Ministry across Gas Street Church locations in Birmingham, England.

With a heart for the next generation, Karen is passionate about equipping churches and empowering Kids’ Ministry leaders to raise disciples to know Jesus and grow in faith, to shape the Church and change the world.