There is only one God, but He exists in three persons (The trinity)

The New Testament clearly describes the Father as God, Jesus as God, and the Holy Spirit as God. But the Bible also says that there's only one God. This means that these three distinct persons are at the same time one.

For some children, this apparent contradiction isn't a problem at all. They simply accept that that's the way God is, and that's wonderful. But other kids try to understand it rationally. In talking with that second group, we have a choice: (1) we can try to explain the Trinity in accurate theological terms (assuming we can do that!), (2) we can try to avoid an explanation by telling them that "that's just the way God is" (which goes counter to everything else we're trying to do in helping our kids relate to God!) or (3) we can try to explain the Trinity in the simplest possible terms and help our children understand what that concept means in their lives.

Perhaps the easiest way to explain "one God, three persons" is this. We as human beings understand complete separation: each one of us can be in only one spot at one time, we know only what we've learned (and not what somebody else has learned), we can think only our thoughts (and not somebody else's), and we all have different abilities. But what if our limitations suddenly disappeared? What if all of us could be everywhere at the same time instead of in only one spot? Then all of us would be everywhere! What if all of us suddenly knew everything? Then all of us would know everything and thus have exactly the same knowledge. And so on.

We can only imagine what it would be like, but in the case of God it is true. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit all can do anything, all know everything, and all are absolutely everywhere at the same time; so they're one in thought, knowledge, presence, power, and ability. Yet they're different. What is it that separates them? It's their unique persons, each with a separate task.

When Jesus was on earth he was baptized in water by John the Baptist. The gospels tell us that when he came out of the water, the Holy Spirit came down on him like a dove, and God spoke from heaven (luke 3:21-22). In this picture we see the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit all presented together, all working together, and yet each one completing a separate task.

Here's a simple way to explain the separate roles that God the Father; God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit have in our kids' lives.

1. God is the Father; he's the one they're to pray to, trust, and develop a relationship with.
2. Jesus is God's Son, and he died for us so that we could join God's family; he's our Savior and role model.
3. The Holy Spirit helps us get to know God, learn from him, and grow as his children, and he directs and guides us into the life that God has designed for us.

God is greater than we can comprehend. But he's described himself thoroughly so that we can better relate to him and can understand that he's more than able to love us and take care of us individually and completely, as our Heavenly Father.