During the Easter season, I was able to participate in an egg hunt at a local church. Unfortunately, the leaders did not allow me to search for eggs, but they did ask me to share a gospel message with the children! I used a giant version of the resurrection eggs, which tell the story of Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection. As I was waiting to share the message, a little girl seated in the front pew asked me about the books in the pew rack. She proudly informed me that she could read! When I told her that one was a Bible. She asked, “What’s a Bible?” For me that was a reality check. Many children in Schuylkill County do not even know what a Bible is.
When I was gathering up my teaching materials after the egg hunt, the church’s pastor said she wanted to share something with me that would be encouraging. When the youth of this church are confirmed, each one is asked to give a testimony of when their faith was placed in Jesus Christ as Savior. She said that many of them had testified that it was when they were participating in a ministry of Child Evangelism Fellowship®, whether Good News Day Camp or Good News Club®. Obviously, her words were an encouragement to my heart. Hearing about the fruits of sharing the gospel brought me joy!
In the middle of that joy, my mind still went back to the little girl who did not know what a Bible is. I am
no longer shocked to hear this. However, I am grieved when I realize how much more work there is to be done in our county. What can we do? At the office, we are choosing to be more intentional about praying together, which we know is foundational. Jesus challenged his disciples to “pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest”. (Luke 10: 2b) We know we need more “boots on the ground” as we continue to reach out to the children here. If you don’t already pray for the ministry will you please join us? The enclosed prayer request list for the month makes it easier to do that. As summer approaches please pray that there will be many helpers for each camp and many children who attend camp. Our desire is that the children not only know what a Bible is, but also know and believe the gospel it contains.
Recent Gifts:
Gifts were given to Child Evangelism Fellowship of Schuylkill County between March 16—April 20, 2018 to the Glory of God.
In Memory of:
Clayton Berger by: Charles and Flo Walton
Ruth Wetzel by: Mr. and Mrs. David Snyder
In Honor of:
The prayer group of Bethesda E. C. Church, Reedsville by: Joan Mengel
To view the complete version of the May 2018 newsletter, click here.