“We’ve doubled in attendance since this past summer when we set this date for your visit. I don’t know how long we’re going to be able to remain in our current room.” What a wonderful thing to hear upon arrival at a young church in Spotsylvania. I had been invited to observe the current structure of their children’s ministry and offer some suggestions to help them grow.
With the ministry team sitting in the room along with 12 children it was easy to see that they had grown beyond their current walls.
As I shared a service with the kids I was encouraged by the eagerness of the team as they observed; hopefully gleaning some teaching ideas and methods. 
The kids, eager to learn, were quick to volunteer as we acted out the story of Jacob and Esau, twin brothers, and then as we talked about the importance of looking beyond ourself to see the needs of others.
How often do we become so wrapped up in ourselves that we can’t see beyond the small confines of our little world? There are so many hurting people with needs ranging from the physical to the spiritual. We need to be more like Jesus who continually looked toward others and their needs and was never self absorbed in His own life. We rounded out the day with an informal Q&A following the service. I met with the team of people committed to reaching the children in their church and their community.
They have a great team in place and I’m believing they will have a profound impact on their community. I look forward to visiting this church again and seeing what God has done through this group of committed people and to hear the stories of how God has touched children and their families.
Gallon size Ziplock bags and items to go in the bags, such as:
Ever question when you should begin teaching children to evangelize and reach the world with the gospel? At what age should kids enter the mission field? How can we prepare kids to be missionaries in their own backyard?
It’s always such a privilege to serve alongside Mark and Holly Brantley and the Eurasia Experience. Teaching the kids this past week at 
“Well, howdy folks. It’s so nice of you to come to help bring in the harvest. We have allot to do before the cold weather sets in. I suppose we should start with the corn, then we can move to the potatoes and last but not least the pumpkins. There’s a harvest that needs to be brought in as the impending cold weather approaches. It’s a good thing I have Fearless Fran to help,” says Harvestor Harriet.
For three evenings the kids learned that courage comes from knowing God and asking Him to help in difficult situations. They learned that true courage is being able to stand up for what they believe is right even when other people don’t agree and that courage gives them hope and a future through knowing and relying on Jesus.
The three evenings ended with a time of celebration as the kids enjoyed, food, inflatables, games and candy. What an evening of rejoicing it was but nothing compared to the rejoicing in heaven over the people that made decisions to follow Jesus.
On September 25, 2011 a group of five went back to their community struck by a flood almost three months ago. 33 people lost their lives as a result of that tragic event. Many others lost all of their belongings including Oning and Nene. Immediately following the flood Oning and Nene moved to another location to avoid any future disaster. They have tried to sell or rent what was left of their home but to no avail.
The kids were very excited to attend the service. Even though the scheduled time was 2:00 pm, they kept coming early and checking if it was 2:00 pm yet. That was so cute and quite funny since they had their own clocks to tell them what time it was but they were just so anxious to be part of what had been planned especially for them.
White Mountain Apache reservation will never be the same! Why? Because 26 people from 4 different churches and 3 states converged in Phoenix to serve the people in and around Whiteriver. The goal was simple; reach the people with the love of Jesus. This goal was three-fold; Mega Sports Camp for the children, a work project to benefit a resident of the reservation and community outreach events to reach children in the outlying areas.
This team consisted of 13 adults and 13 children between the ages of 8 and 16. After spending 8 days with this group of people, I’m convinced that not only was it God led but the team was also hand picked by God. Everyone was focused and driven to complete whatever task was before them. From sunrise to sunset the team gave all they had to impact this community.
Lives were changed that week. Children like Tatiyana who received hope as she prayed with the team on Sunday evening. Or Titus that stood on the side lines and wouldn’t join the fun until different people on the team became friends with him. He was accepted and loved unconditionally. There were at least 35 children that made decisions to follow Jesus that week.
There are children all across the United States that need a personal relationship with Jesus. You don’t have to look far to find them. The easiest place is in your own neighborhood. Partnering with a host of volunteers from Hilltop Christian Fellowship we spent months planning in preparation for a week long camp.
Each day The Big Kahuna went fishing for the WHALE but only caught letters. Taking a look at each letter, Lou Lou helped Big Kahuna realize that God is his provider and creator and is worthy of our praise and honor. Then and only then do we become true fishers of men and fulfill His purpose for our lives.
The camp staff was phenomenal and it was a privilege to serve alongside such an amazing team. They shared the love of Jesus with the kids each day as they played, prayed, served and cared for each and every one. By the end of the week there were numerous kids that had developed a relationship with Jesus and had made a decision to follow Him.
Camp has a wonderful way of helping both staff and campers discover their potential for serving Jesus. My prayer is that they will each find their place in the body of believers and strive to serve Jesus in their unique and special ways. I’m looking forward to seeing what God has planned for 
“It’s a little relief and a chance to get away,” said Jeannette Bollack, who came with her 5-year-old granddaughter to Convoy of Hope.
Rotating with a team of kids from Damascus Road Community Church, together we presented the gospel in a kid friendly fashion giving all who entered an opportunity to ask for Jesus’ forgiveness and to invite Him into their lives.
