I would actually reverse the argument here by saying that using poorly selected terminology about salvation is a much greater issue than the purported “anti-evangelism” of Jared’s post. I’ve spoken to many an adult who responded with a cutsy phrase as a child and, by their fruit over many decades, have revealed that their trust as a child was in a decision they made (self-righteousness) rather than faith in a Savior.

Your readers may also want to check out what I’ve written on this topic here:

http://becomingsaturated.com/2012/02/askjesusintoyourheart/

and here:

http://becomingsaturated.com/2012/03/leading-your-child-to-christ/

Call kids to respond. Call them to decide. We shouldn’t demand outward expression from our kids, but we can encourage it. The Scripture calls all people to obey God’s law. It calls all people to worship the Lord. It calls all people to believe. So, you don’t have to wait until you know that a child is saved in order to call them to respond, or call them to make a decision. We teach for response. We call our kids to respond to God with their whole hearts.

Don’t be afraid to give children gospel assurances. Children should be taught that Jesus alone saves, and they should be assured that they can bank on Him. We should feel free to assure children that Jesus saves.  We should freely invite children to come to Jesus and keep coming to him for their whole life. Should children be led to memorize, recite, or sing Bible passages that give personal assurance—passages like Job 19:25-26, Psalm 23:1, Psalm 42:11, Galatians 2:20, or Romans 8:16?  Absolutely Yes! Leading a child to memorize these assurances is not the same as giving a false assurance. These are not false assurances but the very words of Christ. What do we do if we hear children assuring themselves with one of these passages? We must say to them, “Keep believing! Keep believing!”

Don’t pressure children for commitments, because the pressure is off.   Instead, we trust that God is already at work our kids’ hearts!  Our responsibility is to faithfully teach and sing the gospel to them and leave the results to the Lord. Sometimes we’re tempted to pressure children, because we feel that getting them saved is our responsibility.  It is not.  Salvation is God’s work.  We must teach children that assurance is found in Jesus Christ and his work alone. Trust that God the Holy Spirit will assure those who are truly changed (Rom 8:16).  Trust that he will bring conviction or assurance as he sees fit.  Give children an opportunity to respond, but trust God to work in the hearts of his children to bring them to himself through faith, in his time and in his ways.

You’ve become such an ardent defender of the Gospel that you’ve actually mounted-up barriers to keep children from Jesus. You’ve invented anti-evangelism, denying opportunities for salvation to children in the name of avoiding “easy-believism.” Even worse, you have configured such an elaborate labyrinth of understanding salvation that childlike faith has no chance of penetrating it. There is a verdict for this kind of advocacy in Matthew 18:6.