Center for Faith and Children

There is something so beautiful and safe-feeling about lighting a candle.

Whether battery-powered or with a real flame, the simple ritual of lighting a candle can serve as an invitation to notice that God is present.

Sometimes we want to try something new, like using art with kids for faith formation, but we don't know where to start.

We might just not try at all or we might overcomplicate it.

Here are 3 simple questions to look at art with kids:
🎨What do you see?
🎨What do you feel?
🎨Where is God in the piece?

You don't need to be an art historian or know all about the brush strokes and medium to enjoy art together.

God is the Creator. He didn't just create Christians or the Bible. He created it all.
We can learn from all beauty and stories more about him and grow in our faith.

Do you have a favorite secular piece of art that encourages your faith?

Making art is fun and powerful, but it isn't the only way to use art in your ministry.

Look at art! Pick 4-5 pieces of art from different styles and media that all tell one Bible story. Compare and contrast them with kids.

Art supplies might look like a blank sheet of paper, or it could be a treasure trove of odds and ends up cycled from toy boxes, mail boxes, and trash cans.

Here are 3 things you might now have thought about sharing with your watch childhood ministry:

🎨 Low temp glue guns
🎨Bubble wrap
🎨 Puzzle and game pieces

What might your kiddos do with these?

Your response to a child's art is not a throwaway moment. It's a formative one.
When we say "good job" and move on, we're not being mean — we're just being unaware. But children are paying attention to more than our words. They're learning whether their inner world is worth someone else's time.
Here are 3 small shifts that hold both the developmental and the spiritual weight of that moment:
👉 Notice effort, not just outcome.
👉 Invite their story instead of labeling their work.
👉 Linger long enough to ask what they love about it.
Because every time you respond to a child's art, you are either reinforcing or forming something. You don't have to be perfect. You just have to be present.
You are not just a teacher. You are a witness.