Will our pets go to heaven?
See also: Do animals go to heaven? Do all animals, even mean ones like snakes, go to heaven?
How you might answer: Yes, we believe all animals go to heaven! God created everything on the earth and called it "good" in Genesis 1 - and we believe that God continues to care for all of creation, too. It may seem strange that even poisonous animals or predators could be in heaven, but the Bible sometimes talks about a future when even "a wolf and a lamb" could be peaceful together - and we believe that that's what heaven would be like! If your child still wants to talk about it, encourage them to say a prayer for your pet or the animal they're concerned about, or you can hold a mini worship service for the animal to help say goodbye.
What might be behind their question: If you've recently had a pet die, or have a pet who's ill, this question will almost certainly have come up. Kids care about the well-being of their animals (and other animals) and they want to make sure that they too will experience the heaven they have heard about in Sunday School. This is an opportunity to talk about how much God loves all of creation - including their pet and other animals - and to reassure your child that God's love is there with him/her no matter what.
How you might answer: Yes, we believe all animals go to heaven! God created everything on the earth and called it "good" in Genesis 1 - and we believe that God continues to care for all of creation, too. It may seem strange that even poisonous animals or predators could be in heaven, but the Bible sometimes talks about a future when even "a wolf and a lamb" could be peaceful together - and we believe that that's what heaven would be like! If your child still wants to talk about it, encourage them to say a prayer for your pet or the animal they're concerned about, or you can hold a mini worship service for the animal to help say goodbye.
What might be behind their question: If you've recently had a pet die, or have a pet who's ill, this question will almost certainly have come up. Kids care about the well-being of their animals (and other animals) and they want to make sure that they too will experience the heaven they have heard about in Sunday School. This is an opportunity to talk about how much God loves all of creation - including their pet and other animals - and to reassure your child that God's love is there with him/her no matter what.