Caring for New Converts

Imagine a friend of yours accepted Jesus today. Now answer honestly: what would you do tomorrow?

Would you send a message? Invite him to church? Sit down with him to try to understand the Bible together? Or would you do what most people do — nothing, thinking someone better prepared will take care of it?

That is the question of today's class. Because there is something almost no one realizes: winning a soul is the beginning of the mission, not the end.

Jesus did not command us only to proclaim the Gospel. He commanded us to make disciples — which includes welcoming, baptizing, and teaching them to live out what He said. A person who says yes to Jesus and is then left alone is like a seed thrown on the ground and forgotten. It might sprout. And it might dry up.

In this lesson we are going to look at four things: what Jesus really commanded us to do, what discipleship is, what baptism means, and why true love has to be in action — because that is where you come in, right now, at the age you are.

I — Jesus' command does not end at "yes"

Before ascending to heaven, Jesus left the final command to His disciples. It is in today's lesson text:

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20)

Read it again, slowly, and notice that there is a whole sequence there: go, make disciples, baptize, and teach to obey.

Many people stop at "go." They go out, talk about Jesus, the person accepts — and that is it. But the command is not over. Jesus' goal was never to gather people who say yes; it was to form people who learn to live with Him.

And notice something good: going does not just mean traveling far away. It means wherever you go. At your school, on your street, at your grandmother's house, in your science project group. The Word of God kept inside you makes the way you speak and act almost an open Bible for those around you. Many people will never open one; they will just look at you.

αβ In the original — Greek. In the Greek text of Matthew 28, there is only one verb in the imperative: matheteusate — "make disciples." "Going," "baptizing," and "teaching" are words that revolve around it and explain how the command is fulfilled. In other words: the central commandment is not to travel or to organize an event. It is to form a disciple. And matheteuo comes from mathetes, which means apprentice, student — someone who walks alongside a master until learning his way.

And notice how Jesus closes: He promises that He is with us every single day (Matthew 28:20). The task is big, but no one fulfills it alone. He goes along.

II — Discipleship is someone walking alongside you

Discipleship is a big word for a simple thing: a more mature Christian walks alongside another so that he can grow in faith, understand the Bible better, and live out what Jesus taught.

It is not a course. It is not a lecture. It is companionship with direction.

It has been like this from the beginning. After Pentecost, when thousands of people believed all at once, the church in Jerusalem did not let go of anyone: those new believers continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching, in fellowship, in sharing meals together, and in prayers (Acts 2:42). And the apostles taught every day, in the temple and from house to house — that is our exact Golden Text.

And there are two scenes in the Bible that are worth more than any definition.

The first is that of Barnabas. Saul had just converted, but the church in Jerusalem was afraid of him — and with good reason, because he had persecuted Christians. It was Barnabas who took the risk, brought him in, and introduced him to the apostles (Acts 9:26-27). Years later, with the church in Antioch growing too much for one person alone to handle, Barnabas did something many people would not do: instead of keeping all the work and all the credit for himself, he went to look for Saul in another city. "Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. So for a full year they met together with the church and taught large numbers of people. The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch." (Acts 11:25-26)

A whole year teaching side by side. It was not a five-minute chat at the church door: it was time invested in people.

The second is that of a married couple. Aquila and Priscilla heard a preacher named Apollos — intelligent, full of fire, and with a gap in his doctrine. They did not correct him in front of everyone, they did not humiliate him, and they did not gossip. They took Apollos into their home and explained the way of God to him more accurately (Acts 18:24-28). Sound doctrine, delivered with care and discretion.

Keep those two in mind: Barnabas went to look for him. Aquila and Priscilla took him home. Neither of them sat around waiting for the newcomer to figure things out alone.

And most importantly: Jesus chose to multiply this way. Paul wrote to Timothy: "And the things that you have heard me say among many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be qualified to teach others as well." (2 Timothy 2:2) Count the generations in that sentence — Paul, Timothy, the faithful men, and the others. Four. That is how the Gospel crosses two thousand years and reaches you.

🏛 Curiosity — the dust of the master. In the ancient world, a "disciple" was not someone sitting in a chair listening to a lecture. Jewish teachers had a saying that became famous: cover yourself with the dust of your master's feet. That means: walk so close to him on the road that the dust from his sandals gets on your clothes. That is what discipleship is: short distance and time together, until you learn to think, speak, and act like the Master.

And do not think that discipleship is something that only happens with adults. Timothy, who became a pastor, learned the Scriptures from a very young age, at home, with his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5; 3:14-15). True faith almost always begins with someone who had patience with a child.

III — Baptism: saying in public whose you are

Go back to verse 19, where Jesus commands baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). Baptism is part of Jesus' command — it is not an ornament or a church tradition.

But understand clearly what it is, because many people get confused.

Water baptism does not save anyone. The one who saves is Jesus, on the cross, and salvation is received by faith. Baptism is the public testimony of someone who has already believed: it is you saying for everyone to see that you believe in Jesus, that you have died to sin, and that you now live for Christ, as part of His body — and able, too, to take part in the Lord's Supper.

And baptism is a voluntary decision. No one goes down into the water pushed by others, or to please the family, or because a friend went. Whoever converts also decides to commit to the Word of God — and that decision has to be yours. If you are a follower of Jesus and have not yet been baptized, the path is simple: talk with your parents and with your pastor.

Now, the part that holds back many preteens. Maybe you are thinking: "I am too young" or "I still do things wrong, so it is not right for me to be baptized."

Pay attention to this: the Bible calls the devil the accuser, and those two sentences are his favorite repertoire. He does not need to make you sin — he just needs to convince you that you are disqualified. Do not fall for that lie. Baptism is not a prize for those who have stopped making mistakes; it is the public commitment of someone who has repented and decided to follow Jesus. If you still make mistakes — and everyone does — the way forward is not to run away: it is to repent, surrender yourself to Jesus, and keep walking. When someone goes down into the water, they are declaring that sin has lost the power to rule over their life.

🏛 Curiosity — the white robe. In the first centuries, baptism was a celebration for the whole community. In many churches of that time, whoever came up out of the water received a brand-new white robe to put on right away. It was not just a nice custom: everyone there saw, with their own eyes, that the old life had been left behind like worn-out clothes, and that a new life was beginning in Christ.

IV — Love that proves itself in action

We have reached the part that depends on you.

The apostle John wrote a short and uncomfortable sentence: "Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth." (1 John 3:18) Love that only exists on the lips is not love — it is just talk.

And there is a fact the church learns the hard way: the new convert only stays if they are welcomed and loved. They do not stay because of good preaching, or the sound system, or the building. They stay because they found a family. And they leave, most of the time, without complaining about anything — they just disappear, because no one talked to them.

Paul sums up the house rule in one line: "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring glory to God." (Romans 15:7) The measure of our welcome is the way Christ welcomed us. And He did not wait for us to get better before welcoming us.

So, what can a preteen really do? Four things, all within your reach:

1. Pray for the person by name. Especially when the new convert is your age — no one understands better than you what it is like to arrive at a place without knowing anyone.
2. Walk over and talk. Say your name, ask theirs, sit together, show them where the classroom is. Five minutes solve what a month of indifference ruins.
3. Help with what you know — and be honest about what you do not know. If a question comes up that is too big for you, do not make up an answer: take it to a teacher or a church worker.
4. Bring them to the leaders. You are not the person's pastor. You are the bridge.

And here is a simple practice that changes an entire church: when the worship service ends, before looking for your friends, look for whoever just arrived. Talk to that person first. Afterwards, if there is time, talk with your usual group — they will still be there next Sunday.

If you feel shy, do not give up: invite a friend to go with you or ask your teacher to introduce you. And do all of this where there are people and adults nearby — welcoming happens in plain sight of everyone, in the classroom, in the courtyard, in the hallway. If an adult you do not know asks for your contact information, calls you to a place alone, or asks you to keep a secret, that is not welcoming: you do not go, you do not give it, you do not keep a secret, and you tell a trusted adult that very same day. You speak up; the adult handles it.

❤ For your life. There is a scene that repeats itself in every church: the new person standing off to the side, looking at their phone, waiting for someone to come over. And no one comes — not out of malice, but because everyone already has someone to talk to. You do not need to be the most outgoing person in the class to change that. You just need to be the first to walk over there. It is the simplest thing in today's lesson, and it is the one no one does.

Christ in the Lesson

Here the lesson changes in scale.

It is easy to walk out of a class like this thinking the topic is good manners: be nice, welcome people well, do not leave anyone alone. That is good — but it is not the Gospel, and no club needs a cross just to be polite.

The reason we welcome someone is that Christ welcomed us first. You did not come to God with an impressive résumé. He received you in the state you were in, and paid a price for that which no one else could pay. "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring glory to God." (Romans 15:7) The order of the sentence matters: first He received us, then we receive one another.

And notice who the true discipler is. Barnabas went to look for Saul in Tarsus; Jesus came to look for all of us much farther away. Aquila and Priscilla opened their home to Apollos; Christ opened the way to the Father. The best in us is only a small shadow of what He did.

That is why discipleship is not an obligation of better people toward worse people. It is one forgiven person showing the way to another forgiven person. And that is also why Jesus' command ends with a promise, not a demand: that He is with us every single day (Matthew 28:20).

If you have not yet surrendered your life to Him, start there. No one introduces to Jesus someone he does not know himself.

Practical Application

At church. This week, before looking for your friends, look for whoever just arrived. Say your name, ask theirs, and stay together until the end of that moment.

In prayer. Pray every day of the week for a new person at your church, calling them by name. Prayer with a name changes the way you look at a person.

At school. Apply the same rule in your classroom: the new student, the one who changed schools, the one who sits alone at recess. Walk over and include them.

When it is bigger than you can handle. A question you do not know how to answer, a serious problem, an adult asking for your contact information or a secret: you do not handle that alone. Take it the very same day to a teacher, a leader, or your parents.

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You because You received me before I had anything to offer. Thank You for every person who was patient with me, taught me Your Word, and walked beside me up to here. Help me not to be just another person who only watches from afar. Give me courage to walk up to whoever has just arrived, willingness to pray for that person by name, and honesty to bring to the leaders what I do not know how to answer. Holy Spirit, make me someone who loves in action, and not only in word. And if surrender is still lacking in me, I surrender myself today: forgive my sins and teach me to follow You closely. In Jesus' name, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria — Scripture governs; everything else, on its knees.

Teacher's Guide

Essence of the class

Jesus did not command us only to win souls: He commanded us to make disciples — and an 11- or 12-year-old student can already be a Barnabas to someone who has just arrived.

Map of the class

Time	Stage
0–4 min	Opening — what if a friend of yours accepted Jesus today?
4–11 min	Point 1 — The command that does not end at "yes"
11–19 min	Point 2 — Discipleship is someone walking alongside you
19–26 min	Class activity — Water, paint, and stone
26–32 min	Point 3 — Baptism, a public testimony
32–37 min	Point 4 — Love in action + Christ in the Lesson
37–40 min	Wrap-up + challenge + prayer

Start like this

Walk in and throw out the question without an introduction: "Imagine a friend of yours accepted Jesus today. What would you do tomorrow?" Let three or four answer. You will hear "invite them to church," "send a message," "I don't know." Hold up the most honest answer of all — the one no one says out loud: probably nothing. Follow right up: "Exactly. We learn to invite people to Jesus, but almost no one learns what to do the next day. Today's class is about the next day."

Point 1 — The command that does not end at "yes"

• In the quarterly: the "Knowing More About God" box and topic 1 ("Caring for newcomers"), under the sub-item The mission of the church in Discipleship.
• What to teach: read Matthew 28:19-20 with the class and show the whole sequence — go, make disciples, baptize, teach to obey. Most people stop at "go": the person accepts Jesus and no one else takes care of them. Explain that going means wherever you go — the Word kept inside you makes the way you speak and act an open Bible for those who have never opened one. And close with the promise of verse 20: the task is big, but Jesus goes along.
• Anchor verse: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," (Matthew 28:19)
• Key question: "Who has ever invited someone to church? And what happened after the person came?"
• Likely answers (+ going deeper): "they came once and disappeared"; "they came and stayed"; "I've never invited anyone." Go deeper: "Why do you think the person who disappeared didn't come back? Did anyone talk to that person?" Do not let it turn into judging anyone by name — keep the focus on the principle.
• If no one speaks: tell a story from your own church first, without naming names, about someone who came and did not return. Ask what would have changed the story.

Point 2 — Discipleship is someone walking alongside you

• In the quarterly: topic 1, under the sub-item Discipleship, plus the Pedagogical Aid (the entry "Disciple") and the glossary (ordinance, rudiments, interaction).
• What to teach: give the simple definition — discipleship is a more mature Christian walking alongside another so that they can grow in faith, understand the Bible, and live out what Jesus taught. Show that the early church did this every day, in the temple and from house to house (Acts 5:42; Acts 2:42). Then tell the two scenes that anchor the idea: Barnabas, who took a risk on Saul when the church was afraid of him (Acts 9:26-27) and later went to look for him in Tarsus so they could teach together for a whole year in Antioch (Acts 11:25-26); and Aquila and Priscilla, who corrected Apollos's doctrine inside their home, with care and discretion, instead of humiliating him in public (Acts 18:24-28). Close with the chain of 2 Timothy 2:2 — Paul, Timothy, faithful men, the others: four generations, and ours is the latest in line so far.
• Anchor verse: "And the things that you have heard me say among many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be qualified to teach others as well." (2 Timothy 2:2)
• Key question: "Who was your Barnabas — the person who taught you what you know about God?"
• Likely answers (+ going deeper): "my mom"; "my grandma"; "my Sunday School teacher"; "my uncle." Go deeper: "And whose Barnabas could you be, right now, at the age you are?"
• If no one speaks: answer first yourself, with a name and a story — "my Barnabas was..." — and the class will open up.

Point 3 — Baptism, a public testimony

• In the quarterly: topic 2 ("Talking about baptism"), with the sub-items The need for baptism and An ordinance, and the true-or-false activity.
• What to teach: three things, in this order. (1) Baptism does not save — the one who saves is Jesus; baptism is the public testimony of someone who has already believed, died to sin, and now belongs to the body of Christ, able to take part in the Lord's Supper. (2) It is Jesus' command (Matthew 28:19), but it is a voluntary decision: no one goes down into the water out of obligation, to please the family, or because a friend did. (3) Tackle head-on the two roadblocks of this age group — "I'm too young" and "I still make mistakes." Say that the accuser lives off those two sentences and that they do not disqualify anyone: baptism is not a prize for those who have stopped making mistakes, it is the public commitment of someone who has repented. And give the practical path: talking with their parents and with the pastor. Never embarrass anyone or ask for a show of hands of who is already baptized and who is not — the question is personal, not a scoreboard.
• Anchor verse: "and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20)
• Key question: "Why would someone want to declare in public that they belong to Jesus, if they could just believe quietly?"
• Likely answers (+ going deeper): "so everyone knows"; "to obey Jesus"; "I don't know." Go deeper: "What changes in your life when people know whose you are?"
• If no one speaks: tell the story of your own baptism — the day, the fear, what went through your head. A teacher's testimony unlocks a class.

Point 4 — Love in action

• In the quarterly: topic 3 ("Our new friends and brothers!"), with the sub-items The new believers and Spiritual brothers, plus the "Reflecting" activity (positive and negative attitudes).
• What to teach: start from 1 John 3:18 — love that stays only on the lips is not love. State the uncomfortable fact: a new convert only stays if they are welcomed and loved, and when they leave they almost never complain, they just disappear. Give the standard of Romans 15:7: the measure of our welcome is the way Christ welcomed us. Then list the four actions suited to their age — pray by name, walk over and talk, help with what you know (and be honest about what you do not know), bring them to the leaders — and teach the practice that changes a church: when the worship service ends, before going to your friends, look for whoever just arrived. Close with the safety rule stated in plain words: welcoming always happens in plain sight of everyone; if an unknown adult asks for contact information, calls them to a place alone, or asks for a secret, the student does not go, does not give it, does not keep it, and tells a trusted adult that very same day. "You speak up; the adult handles it." Flow straight into Christ in the Lesson.
• Anchor verse: "Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth." (1 John 3:18)
• Key question: "Do you remember the first time you walked into a room without knowing anyone? What did you wish someone had done?"
• Likely answers (+ going deeper): "that someone would talk to me"; "that they would invite me to sit with them"; "that no one would stare at me." Go deeper: "Then you already know exactly what to do with whoever arrives here." Do not ask anyone to share an episode of rejection in detail in front of the class; if someone starts opening up about something heavy, receive it warmly and gently redirect — "thank you for trusting me, let's talk right after class" — and bring it to the leadership that very same day.
• If no one speaks: tell about your own first time in a new place and what you felt.

Class activity

• Goal: to see the difference between being inside the church and being blended in with the church — and to leave with a concrete plan for the first five minutes with someone new.
• Materials: two clear cups with water, poster paint (if unavailable, cocoa powder or coffee grounds), a few washed pebbles, and a strip of paper and a pen for each student. Everything the quarterly already asks for.
• Step by step: you do the demonstration up front — no student is singled out, no student plays "the newcomer." In the first cup, drop the paint into the water and ask everyone to watch: in seconds all the water changes color. In the second cup, put the washed pebbles and wait. Ask: "what happened to the stone?" Answer: nothing. It is inside the cup, taking up space, and remainsucky-exact same. Explain: "that is what it is like when a new convert arrives and no one blends in with them. They stay inside the church, but on the outside of it." Second part: hand a strip of paper to each student and give a single prompt — "write down your first five minutes with someone who arrived today: what you say first, what you ask, and where you sit with that person." Everyone writes at the same time, and no one reads out loud unless they want to. Offer to read two or three anonymously, if the class agrees.
• Wrap-up (back to the text): "A stone inside a cup stays a stone. People inside the church with no one around them stay alone. God wants real blending — and blending starts with someone walking over there. Barnabas went to look for Saul in Tarsus; Aquila and Priscilla took Apollos home. The paper in your hand is your challenge for the week."

If they ask you this

• "I'm 11 years old, isn't that the pastor's job?" It is the pastor's job too, but not only his: Jesus gave the command to make disciples to all who follow Him, not to an office (Matthew 28:19-20). At their age, that means praying by name, walking over and introducing themselves, sitting together, and bringing to the leadership what they do not know how to answer. Make the boundary clear in the very same sentence: they are the bridge, not the person's pastor.
• "If the person has already accepted Jesus, why do they need discipleship?" Because converting is the beginning, not the end. The Holy Spirit begins a real work in that life, but it is not magic and does not happen overnight: God's grace gives the strength and the person cooperates every day — and can grow cold and give up if left alone. Use 1 Corinthians 3:6: one plants, another waters, God gives the growth. Someone needs to water.
• "I still make mistakes. Can I be baptized?" If baptism were a prize for those who stopped making mistakes, no one would be baptized. It is the public commitment of someone who has repented, believed, and decided to follow Jesus. Say that "you are too young" and "you still do things wrong" are the accuser's two favorite lines — and that the path is repentance, surrender, and a conversation with their parents and the pastor. Never pressure a date or take a count of who has already gone down into the water.
• "What if a new adult at church wants my contact info or calls me to go somewhere alone?" This is the most important question and cannot be left out. State it in plain words: welcoming happens in plain sight of everyone, in the classroom, in the courtyard, in the hallway. No student gives out contact information, goes anywhere alone, or keeps a secret asked for by an adult. They tell their father, mother, teacher, or another leader that very same day; if the first person does not listen, they tell a second. Repeat it and ask the class to repeat it with you: "You speak up; the adult handles it."

Wrap-up + challenge of the week

• Wrap-up: "We started by asking what you would do if a friend accepted Jesus today. Now you know: Jesus' command does not end at the person's yes. He commanded us to make disciples — to welcome, baptize, teach to obey, walk alongside. Barnabas went to look for Saul. Aquila and Priscilla opened their home to Apollos. And none of this is just polite manners: we welcome others because Christ welcomed us first, just as we were, and paid for it on the cross. He did not leave you alone. Do not leave anyone alone in here."
• Challenge: be the first to reach whoever just arrived. This week at church, before looking for your friends, find someone who arrived recently or who is alone, say your name, ask theirs, and stay together until the end of that moment. And pray for that person, by name, every day of the week. On Sunday, come back with the story.

Teacher's kit

• Before: read the three topics of the quarterly and mark in your Bible Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 5:42; Acts 2:42; Acts 9:26-27; Acts 11:25-26; Acts 18:24-28; 2 Timothy 2:2; 1 John 3:18; and Romans 15:7. Set aside before class the names of two or three people who arrived recently at your church, so the class can pray for them by name. Also check with the leadership how the conversation about baptism works at your church, so you can give the right path if a student asks.
• Bring: a Bible, two clear cups, water, poster paint (or cocoa powder), a few washed pebbles, strips of paper, and pens.
• Pray beforehand: ask God for a class that sees whoever arrives; that no student leaves thinking this is only the pastor's job; that those who have not yet surrendered to Christ do so today; and that none of them confuse welcoming with being alone with someone they do not know.

Homework

Your mission for the week

Be the first to reach whoever just arrived. This week at your church, before looking for your friends, find someone who arrived recently or who is alone: say your name, ask their name, and stay together until the end of that moment — sitting beside them, walking them to the classroom, introducing them to a teacher. Then pray for that person by name every day of the week. Do everything where there are people and adults nearby; if you feel shy, ask a friend or a teacher to go with you.

Why

Because a new convert only stays if they are welcomed and loved — and love that stays only on the lips is not love: "Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth." (1 John 3:18) You welcome others because Christ welcomed you first (Romans 15:7).

How to know you did it

You know that person's name, and they know yours. If you do not know their name, you have not done it yet.

On Sunday, come back with the story

Next week's class starts with sharing who you met, what the person's name is, and what happened. Do not stay out.