Discipling Children in a Week of Prayer Setting: A Discourse Analysis

Abstract

The week of prayer in schools is an avenue for nurturing discipleship. In order to be effective, speakers need to employ engaging strategies to connect to their audience and then the audience to the message, to open their heart to receive the gospel truth. This study analyzed children’s experiences during weeks of prayer that used engaging strategies to present the Gospel. The research design used was discourse analysis. Discourse analysis is a qualitative research approach that analyzes human experience in written, observation, or recorded form (Jorgensen & Philips, 2002). Written notes of children to the week of prayer presenter served as the primary data. The study found that Bible stories, personal anecdotes, and humor are effective tools to connect to the message and thus to Christ. The study has implications for practice of Christian educators in general and those who are engaged in the discipleship of children for Jesus.