Grady Miller | Pastor – Bolton Friends Church, Tristate Area Superintendent
On January 10th, we started our Kids Club up again for the Spring session. Usually, we have a drop off in numbers due to spring activities, but not this year. We finished last year with a lot of enthusiasm and that seems to have carried over to this year.
We do Kids Club in 60 minutes (fastest hour of my life). The club is divided up into 5 classes with Western names – Dirty Toe Gang, Wild Mustangs, Saddle Pals, Buckaroos, and Outlaws (Sr. High through Nursery). The older kids become helpers and puppeteers, etc. The sanctuary is converted into an Old West setting which is left up until after April.
We have hidden hearts with various scripture on them throughout the church. From 6:30-6:40 the kids look for them; each heart has a different point value so they are looking to accumulate points. The class with the most points -which is announced the following week- wins the John 3:16 plaque for the week. The classes also earn points through other ways as well. The whole group is divided up into two teams (this includes adults): Chickens and Goats. This is our Great Race for Missions.
From 6:40-7:00 is class time. I get our lesson material from a web site: Trueway Kids lesson@truewaykids.com which is free (we send them a donation). We’ve been doing the life of Christ from His birth to His ministry, etc. From 7:00-7:30 is assembly. We announce the winner of the highest points from the previous week, and announce the results of the ongoing race, Race for Missions.
Brentwood came out with some good action (scripture-based) type songs several years ago which we use. The Kids really like these songs, so we use them every year. We usually sing one or two songs (sing along doing the actions).
We also do The Great Race for Missions – Goats vs. Chickens—which provides a way for the kids to give. Last session we raised $5,200, by the grace of God. We sent $4,000 to EFM for their Christmas Catalogue and $1,000 to Friends of Kibimba Hospital. Last evening, we had 20 kids and 18 adults. The Great Race for Missions brought in $479.00. In three weeks the race is up to $1,335.10. The Goats lead by $196.90. To God be the Glory.
The rest of the time is quiz time when we use a game show type format with questions and multiple-choice answers called, “It’s time to stump, The Gang Behind the Brick Wall Gang.” The questions are based on the lesson. I use the puppets as the gang and they get the questions first and opportunity to answer first but most of the time they miss. Since they don’t answer correctly, then one of the class members gets a chance to answer. The correct answer always earns points. By then it’s time to have a closing prayer and refreshments. We have a hard time getting the kids to go to refreshments as that is the end of the hour, as they are having such a good time.
Fastest hour I have ever lived.
I share this because it has to be Jesus Christ, it has to be! Paul gives a testimony to Agrippa as he tells his encounter with Jesus on the Road to Damascus:
“I’m sending you off to open the eyes of the outsiders so they can see the difference between dark and light, and choose light, see the difference between Satan and God, and choose God. I’m sending you off to present my offer of sins forgiven, and a place in the family, inviting them into the company of those who begin real living by believing in me”’ Acts 26:17-18 (MSG).
Paul never lost his enthusiasm for preaching the message of salvation.
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