Leading worship through song for young children is a delicate balance. We are to instil a love for God and truth in their little hearts. We want them to love to sing about Jesus and the truths found in His inerrant Word. And yet, we must be mindful of their developmental stage and theological understanding. This isn’t so much about words that are above their understanding but rather concepts that they have not embraced or grasped. A common concern among children's ministry leaders revolves around song selection: Should young and yet unredeemed children be singing songs of personal salvation? Could this inadvertently create a false sense of assurance in a child's faith?
Let’s break it down this way. We want to move beyond simple children's songs, yet some traditional hymns as well as modern worship anthems, while theologically rich, contain language of personal salvation that might not be true of the young hearts singing them. Songs like ‘All I Have is Christ,’ with lyrics such as, ‘You looked upon my helpless state / And led me to the cross / And I beheld God's love displayed / You suffered in my place / You bore the wrath reserved for me / Now all I know is grace.’ or ‘Made Alive,’ proclaiming, ‘I'm made alive forever with You…by Your grace, I'm saved’ & ‘My sin has been erased / I'll never be the same,’ are powerful songs of truth for someone who has been redeemed. But are they appropriate for children who have not been redeemed and do not truly know Jesus Christ yet?
The Scriptures remind us of the importance of truth: ‘Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth’ (John 17:17, LSB). All of our songs must reflect Biblical truth. However, the application of that truth to a child's heart requires discernment. We've all heard testimonies of teens and adults who, despite childhood baptisms, songs, and memorized verses, later realized their early faith lacked true understanding.

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Question: How can we help children genuinely examine their hearts rather than simply echoing words? Answer: We shepherd them toward genuine faith by helping them understand truth and avoiding music that requires children who do not know Jesus to speak untruths about their own hearts.

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Can you imagine sitting 3-year-old Johnny down and telling him, ‘Johnny, even though you haven’t trusted in Jesus for repentance and forgiveness yet, you are a child of God. Don’t worry about your sin, it has been erased.’ This would be a great disservice to Johnny, potentially leading him to believe he's always been saved simply because he was told so, without a true understanding of his sinful state and desperate need for salvation through grace and faith in Jesus. Johnny needs to understand his sinfulness and the grace offered through Jesus before claiming salvation; simply believing he is rescued because he has always been told he's saved hinders that crucial process. Further, we do not sit these young children down and tell them to articulate complex experiences of sin, repentance, and faith before they are developmentally ready. Why would we do so through song?
This isn't legalism. It's about shepherding—caring for and guiding—a child's heart. It's illogical to expect young children to fully grasp and articulate complex theological truths while simultaneously being told they have already achieved this understanding. We meet them where they are, providing age-appropriate teaching and experiences that lay a foundation for deeper understanding. This aligns with Hebrews 5:13-14 (LSB). ‘For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern both good and evil.’ This passage is recognizing spiritual nourishment is to be that which is right for the developmental stage.
This can be a tough pill to swallow, especially for those parents or teachers that have a vast library of music or have a set curriculum that feels threatened by this approach. We must remember that children's minds are malleable. They tend to believe what they're told. Forcing a child to articulate words they don't understand can lead to rote memorization and a false sense of assurance. It's like asking a child to solve algebra before basic addition. The process is crucial. We want genuine expressions of faith, reflections of their hearts, not just echoes of adult language. This connects to Jesus' emphasis on true worship from the heart (Matthew 15:8, LSB). We want heart transformation, not lip service.
While no single verse explicitly addresses children's worship song choices, Scripture does, in fact, speak to this through the principles it teaches. Wise shepherding and age-appropriate teaching are woven throughout Scripture. ‘Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it’ (Proverbs 22:6, LSB) emphasizes gradual instruction. Jesus welcomed children (Matthew 19:14, LSB) and taught in ways His audience could understand.
Just like an infant’s food journey, we should always be testing to see if they are ready for solid foods and just like an infant learns to stand and then walk, we are to be encouraging them to progress. Yes, stagnation and under-nourishment are also a realm that we are to avoid.

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Does Jesus Love Me?
What about the age-old hymn ‘Jesus Loves Me’? Does the love of Jesus extend to unredeemed children? This is where discernment and theology come into a parent or Sunday School teacher’s curation of the music that they teach their children to sing. God's love is intrinsic to His being, not dependent on our actions or location. Therefore, God loves all people, including those in hell. This love, however, is defined as ‘willing the good of another.’ For those in hell, separated from God, the ‘good’ would be reconciliation with their Creator. While God desires this reconciliation, those in hell have, through their pride & in accordance with God’s perfect plan, rejected it. God's love remains, but its experience is drastically different than for those who are in right relationship with Him. So, does Jesus love the little children? Does 3-year-old Johnny get to sing ‘Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so’? Our verdict in this is yes, children should be encouraged to sing this song. God does love them, regardless of their salvation status. The song expresses a fundamental truth about God's nature. If God's love extends even to those in hell, it also extends to children who are yet unredeemed and do not know Jesus. Singing about this love can be a starting point for understanding it more fully, even if the child doesn't yet fully grasp the concept of salvation. The song can plant a seed of truth about God's character and His attitude toward humanity. For the unsaved child, it could be an introduction to God's love, while for the saved child, it's a reaffirmation of a known truth.

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But What Age?
Every child matures at a different rate, some at a vastly different rate. This is why it is crucial to intentionally shepherd each child individually and this is done by the parents. Sunday School curriculums and materials can be general in their age-appropriate methods, but the parent is the one responsible for training up their child and following them in their journey to understanding and the recognition of these key truths. But what about adults? We sing these songs in our church services. What about the unbelievers in our midst? First and foremost, the church is not there for the seeker. The church is there for the Christian. Christian apologist Greg Koukl speaks of the pastor’s responsibility this way, ‘My goal there is to feed the flock. And if my goal in this church service, when we all gather together, is to try to win someone to Christ that may be there, the flock doesn’t get fed.’ The church is not an evangelistic meeting. The church is for believers. However, this does not mean unbelievers are uninvited and they are certainly very welcomed in our midst. So how do we reconcile singing songs about our personal salvation in Christ among unbelievers who also may be singing these songs alongside us? The developmental difference between adults and young children is significant. Adults have the capacity for abstract thought and can engage with complex theological concepts. Young children, particularly those in elementary school and prior, are still developing in this area. An adult’s understanding of sin, grace, and salvation is often more concrete, and they have made conscious decisions regarding how they handle those truths. They are also fully aware they are in the presence of those who are converted and are singing songs pertaining to the redeemed heart even if they have, unfortunately, rejected this.

So, what's the solution?
Being careful not to put words of personal faith into the mouths of children who may not yet fully understand them is crucial. And so, we can focus on songs that emphasize the character of God: His love, holiness, and faithfulness. Songs like ‘His Mercy is More’ by Matt Boswell and Matt Papa as well as ‘Only a Holy God’ by CityAlight emphasize who God is and what His attributes are, regardless of personal belief or acknowledgement. Whether or not we believe it, the fact remains that our sins are many but God's mercy is more! Sometimes small caveats can be inserted by the parent or intentional teacher such as the fact that song says that we stood beneath a debt we could never afford but that debt remains if we do not turn to Jesus. But, overall, these songs of truth are much more powerful tools for teaching children about God than those requiring them to sing personal declarations of faith they may not yet be ready to make.
Furthermore, explaining the meaning of the songs we sing is crucial. We must create an environment for children to ask questions and explore these truths. ‘But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’ (2 Peter 3:18, LSB). We should encourage them to seek guidance from their parents and other trusted adults, such as pastors, who help them understand the truths of Scripture.
Ultimately, the goal is not to shield these young children from theological concepts but to present them in a way that is both truthful and developmentally appropriate. This requires prayerful consideration, open dialogue with other leaders, a willingness to adapt our approach, and, perhaps most key, having a close relationship with each child and shepherding their heart intentionally as we train them up in the way they should go.

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What patience would wait as we constantly roam
What Father, so tender, is calling us home
He welcomes the weakest, the vilest, the poor
Our sins they are many, His mercy is more

Soli Deo Gloria