At around 2:30 four days a week I unlock the Church, set up a table with eight chairs, and walk down to a local elementary school waiting for kids to get out. By 3:05 I’m leading a group back to the Church so we can start Bible Club.
Bible Club is normally a weekly after-school meeting for children, but the Lord burdened my heart for the children of Barrouallie who had very little knowledge of Scripture. So we meet almost every day (except for Tuesday which is Mr. Johns day off.)
The growth isn’t explosive, I’ve had as many as thirteen coming regularly but now have around six. Yet I have been able to develop close relationships with those children, share the Gospel countless times, and faithfully teach God’s Truth.
So in a way Bible Club has been used to disciple those children (editors note: I use the word “disciple” as a general term of teaching truth since some of them haven’t accepted Christ)
There is definitely a place for evangelistic ministries (I prefer to do this with one on one stories) but a ministry of teaching the core truths of Scripture is greatly overlooked, particularly with children.
For this reason I’m incredibly grateful for ministry tools like “Good Soil Evangelism” that offers amazing Bible pictures in a Powerpoint format, the Jesus Storybook Bible, and material from Child Evangelism Fellowship they know well enough to request missionary stories by name.
That isn’t to say teaching ministries like this are easy
- Somedays no kids show up
- Others we end up having arguments (or fights) while I’m teaching Scripture
- There are days a child gets vexed (angry) because someone else got a sweetie and not them
- And at times they don’t pay attention at all
But as the Truths of Scripture are faithfully proclaimed..they will grasp it
Last Friday we had our first “Bible Quiz” of the school year. I ended up having to make more review questions because the kids kept getting it right!
I cannot tell you what it a joy it was to see children jump and down in celebration after getting a Bible question right, or other kids excitedly saying “I know!” “I know!”
Discipleship is not easy because sometimes it seems as if they are listening.
but know they are indeed listening…..
and God will use those foundational truths of Scripture to transform their lives.
Johnhwilburn.org 