Let me tell you about some of the children in my Good News Clubs…
Sitting in the front row is a little girl, who wears a knitted cap, hair standing out all over the place. Those hands of hers need to reach out and touch everything in sight. Yet she knows the concepts of the lesson when I ask her questions.
A fourth-grade boy enters the room. When I say hello, he starts to sing a Good News Club® song, with a big smile on his face.
A blonde-haired lad has a hard time keeping his energy under control. Sometimes his behavior doesn’t seem to match his name! I sit with him on the bus, and we talk about his family. It’s a complicated situation.
One of the girls I had last year was very restless. In fact, she even quit the club. This year she came back and seems very happy to be at the club.
Those are just a few of the 78 children that I taught in my two clubs this fall. My time with them is so brief, I can’t begin to get to know all of them. In my Pottsville club, which had 44 children enrolled, I couldn’t even learn all their names. (In that Good News Club we have one hour to transport the kids from the school to the church, teach the lesson, and travel back to school again!)
Although I don’t remember their names, my Heavenly Father knows each one of these children to the very core of their beings. Jesus called for them to come to Him: “Let the children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 19:14 (ESV) I pray that they will listen to the call of the Holy Spirit in their hearts and choose to believe in Jesus as Savior, growing in Him.
I must admit that there are times I leave Good News Club and wonder if the kids grasped anything I said! On other occasions I feel that the Bible lesson went really well and the children showed understanding. I am reminded that while I need to be thoroughly prepared to teach, while continually improving my skills, God is the one who brings these tender hearts to Himself. What a blessing to be a part of their journey toward His kingdom!
Recent Gifts:
Gifts were given to Child Evangelism Fellowship of Schuylkill County between November 18 to December 18, 2017 to the Glory of God.
In Memory of:
Mr. and Mrs. Laurin Edmonds by: Atty. and Mrs. Martin Cerullo
Janet Griffin by: Alma Davis
David Guzick by: Betzy Guzick (Nana)
Richard and Gladys Kilmer by: Dean, Lorena & Jeffrey Lazarchick
Maribeth Michelle Lantz by: Audrey A. Lantz
Thomas L. Parnell by: Patrick and Colleen Becker Mr. and Mrs. Charles Walton
Ronald Rhen by: Joan Rhen
Jim Tregea by: Joan Tregea
Israel “Izzy” Whalen by: Mr. and Mrs. John Seltzer, Jr.
In Honor of:
Kay Arz by: Patrick and Colleen Becker
Shelley Hikes, for her faithful service by: Joan Mengel
Judy Ketz by: Evelyn M. Jones
Our grandchildren by: Mr. and Mrs. Mark Masser
The children who trusted Jesus as Savior because of CEF by: Patricia Kuchinos
A Devotional Thought:
Lamentations 3:51 (ESV) “…my eyes cause me grief at the fate of all the daughters of my city.”
Jill Briscoe shared this verse in her book Faith Enough to Finish as a challenge to her readers. I now pass that challenge on to you.
When you look around you, I mean really look at the people around you, is your heart affected, grieved by what you see? Could you adapt that verse to read, My eyes cause my heart (sorrow, misery, sadness, anguish, pain, distress, heartache, heartbreak, agony, torment, affliction, suffering, woe, desolation, dejection, despair) at the fate of the children in my neighborhood? Which verb describes what you feel when you look at the lost in your neighborhood? Do you feel anything? If not, then the question that needs to be asked is, “Do you even look?”
Those who volunteer with CEF look. We can’t help it. Children have a way of forcing your eyes to see them. It could be because they are as cute as a button. But more often than not it is because they look at you. Children’s hearts are so receptive. They love so freely. Lindell and I have been asked by two little sisters to pray with them for their daddy~ he doesn’t know Jesus. And the girls love Jesus. We couldn’t help but look at them. My eyes caused me to sorrow as these little girls know their daddy is lost and my eyes caused me to joy as these sweet children bow their heads in prayer asking God to move in their daddy’s heart.
When we look we see smiling faces. Singing faces. Messy and dirty faces. Crying faces. We see lost people in need of a Savior. I pray that my eyes would continue to affect my heart ~ even though it makes me cry. One heart affected, grieved for the children of the city can move a mountain. Will you be that one?
Thank you to our prayer warriors. You look at the children in the neighborhood every time you bow your head (your heart) before the Throne of God.
Thank you to our donors. You look at the children through your financial support that enables another outreach ministry to happen.
With a heart that has been affected by my eyes,
Shelley
To view the full version of the January 2018 newsletter, click here.