“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Corinthians 13:14)

[using the New City Catechism app…]

Question 3:  How many persons are there in God?

Answer:  There are three persons in one God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Big Idea: A correct understanding of the Trinity is essential to right worship of God.

The doctrine of the Trinity is hard to understand for adults as well as children!  However, it’s important for our kids to begin to engage with this biblical doctrine, which will expand their knowledge and understanding of who God is and what He is like.  They will be exposed to various religions through everyday encounters (school, friends, media, etc.), so it’s important to help them understand that the God of the Bible is one and that Christianity is a monotheistic faith.  The word Trinity means “Tri-Unity” — Tri means three, and Unity means one.  This word acknowledges what the Bible reveals to us about God, that God is three persons who all have the same essence of God.

Here are some basic truths you can reinforce as you dialogue through Question 3…

1.  There is only one God. (Dt. 6:4)

2.  God is three persons.(2 Cor.13:14)

3.  Each person is fully God (not one-third God). The Bible speaks of the Father as God (Phil. 1:2), Jesus as God (Titus 2:13), and the Holy Spirit as God (Acts 5:3–4).

4.  Each person of the Trinity is different from the others. Because the Father sent the Son into the world ( Jn 3:16), the Father isn’t the same person as the Son. Likewise, after the Son returned to the Father ( Jn 16:10), the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit into the world (Jn 14:26; Acts 2:33). Therefore, the Holy Spirit is distinct from the Father and the Son.

5.  The three persons of the Trinity relate eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Here’s a video for kids that you can watch together if it helps…