We have six different routes or groups of teachers
with five to eight teachers on a route. Many of the routes split
into two or three different classes. An adult or mature youth
is given responsibility to oversee each route. It is rewarding
to watch that young man grow in maturity as he leads out and
gives direction in the class. Many of the teachers put a lot
of time into building relationships with their students by visiting
them or having them out for the weekend.
A Tuesday evening begins with teachers arriving
alone, by twos, or by the carload at one of two church buildings
rented for the evening. While they wait for the latecomers,
they have a good time visiting together. When everyone from
a route has arrived, that group goes to a classroom for a time
of sharing and prayer for the evening’s work, preparing their
hearts, and being joined together in unity. As they leave to
pick up the children, they are filled with the anticipation
of seeing their children and giving them a hug. Many of the
children are from broken homes. Not having a father to relate
to, they are longing for love.
When
the class time is over, snack finished, and the children taken
home, the route will again meet in the classroom to share about
the evening. They may be rejoicing over the response of the
children to the lesson, or they may be seeking answers for that
child who repeatedly interrupted class. Some evenings the children
seem to have no interest in what they should. It is easy to
ask, “What are we doing here?” Then we are reminded that God
loves them more than we ever can or will. Though many are in
this world because of sin in their parents’ lives, they are
not an accident to God, and He has a divine purpose for them
being here. Maybe we can be the one to receive a blessing by
planting that seed that will grow and bring glory to God.
Following are some testimonies from teachers:
Being involved with the children’s ministry
has shown me the many lost and hurting young souls in Lancaster
who are simply crying out for love and acceptance. Many of the
children’s eyes silently plead for love and affirmation in their
unstable lives.
At the end of class on a Tuesday evening we
always hold hands to pray together as a route. When their slight
hand is slipped into mine, I often think of this writing entitled
“Small Hands”:
When a boy or girl thrusts their small hand
in yours, it may be smeared with chocolate ice cream, or grimy
from petting a dog, and there may be a wart under the right
thumb and a bandage on the little finger. But the most important
thing about these hands is that they are the hands of the future.
These are the hands that some day may reverently hold a Bible
or angrily hold a gun. They may play the church piano or spin
a gambling wheel. They may gently dress a leper’s wounds or
tremble wretchedly, uncontrolled by an alcoholic mind. But right
now that hand is in yours. It asks for help and guidance. It
represents a full-fledged personality to be respected as a separate
individual whose day-by-day growth into mature Christian adulthood
is your responsibility.
Eugena Martin, Red Route
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I am grateful for what God is doing in my life
through LCM. Being a route captain has required me to seek God
for answers. “Why aren’t we seeing much fruit for our labors?
How does God want us to minister in Lancaster City? Are the
young people in my route clear before God and each other? Are
my hands clean and is my heart pure?” The questions go on. I
can testify that being in Lancaster has been a way for God to
teach me in leadership, ministry, and dependence on Him. It
has also shown me more clearly that in me, that is in my flesh,
dwells no good thing. I am thankful for what God has done with
me and with us, but I am even more thankful for what God will
yet do with the children and families of Lancaster City. May
God’s will be done in earth as it is in heaven. A little over
a half year ago a young man from another ministry in Lancaster
shared with us a vision of what will happen when the King of
Glory comes to Lancaster and fights for us. I believe it will
happen. I just pray that God would allow me to witness it. My
hope is that I would be humble and broken enough that God would
allow me to be part of His army. May glory, honor, majesty,
dominion, and power be unto Jesus Christ now and forever. Amen.
Merle Weaver, Blue Route
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
”Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and
the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee” (Isaiah 60:1).
This verse fits so well with my testimony. As I ponder and look
back over the years of my involvement with LCM, I can’t help
but remember my younger years of struggling and seeing the difference
that it made in just getting involved in the lives of others.
From feeling like I didn’t fit in, that I needed to “arrive”
before God could ever use me, I marvel at how God has helped
me through that time and how far He has taken me on since then.
Looking back, I realize that LCM played a big part in my growth.
I am challenged and humbled as I think of the awesome responsibility
and impact we can have in the lives of the children. I help
with the older class of young people, which can be a real challenge,
but I love it. This past Tuesday as I was listening to one of
the mothers (who is a sincere Christian) share about her struggles
in guiding her youth, warning and trying to protect them from
the evils around them, I was left with a deeper burden for the
young people in our society. Very few have parents like that.
Who will show them the only true way? Who will speak out against
the moral sins? Who will stop them from going down the same
path that their parents are on? Who will take the time that
it takes to build relationships, teach them, and help them make
right choices? Who will stand in the gap?
I can still see the faces of the youth as I
taught this past Tuesday on the two different paths of Light
and Darkness (God and Satan). True, they may appear indifferent
and hard at times, but I know that deep down in, each one of
them is searching for answers. For most of them, we are their
only Bible, and Tuesday night is the only church they go to!
May we all rise to the challenge that is so clearly given to
us. “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there
any thing too hard for me?” (Jer. 32:27).
Janelle Zimmerman, Green Route
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I have learned much in the 1½ years
I have been going to children’s ministry. I have found a joy
in pouring out my time, energy, and money for the little children
in Lancaster. I have seen how they live. There are many who
are hurting, longing for someone to encourage them and say,
“Jesus loves you; you can do it.” It has also given me a burden
and love for other cultures and people.
The children in my class are five to eight
years old. I have grown to love and appreciate them very much,
and see potential in them. I’m trusting God to make them children
with purpose, hope, and a bright future. I have confidence that
their lives are changed every Tuesday.
Before every lesson we have a time of prayer,
and I ask them if they have prayer requests or if they want
to pray. Imalay, a little eight-year-old girl, learned to pray
in Jesus’ name. One day her mom was sick at home, and Imalay
and her brother Aramis (who is also in my class) put their hands
on their mom and said, “Mom, we’ll pray for you. Jesus will
heal you.” Later, on visitation, their mom told me this story.
She told how she can’t even pray and was amazed when her children
prayed for her. As a result of their prayer, the parents of
these children now go to church. They are happy to see their
children changing in their home. One time this mom was discouraged
when the children came home from church, and the children began
singing songs about Jesus. Now she has them practice church
songs and sing for her. Imalay grabs the truth and obeys it
as much as she knows how. Just last week she told me, “Marcus,
in the evening I go to my room and read my Bible. I don’t watch
TV.” I was amazed! I didn’t tell her to do this. She has also
memorized I John 1 with a little help, and at home they practice
with their parents. This makes them feel good because they have
accomplished something.
One day last summer as I went into Lancaster,
I began to cry as I realized: “Here I am, going to Lancaster
again. Why? Why am I wasting my time and money?” I stopped at
Wal-Mart to buy a teddy bear and picture frame for Veronica,
an eight-year-old girl from a poor family. She had broken her
hand at school as she was trying to stop a big boy from hurting
a little boy. “Hurt me instead,” she said. I think it was a
result of a lesson that was taught earlier. I was touched as
she told me why her hand was wrapped, so I decided to buy her
something. As I came to her house, her mom was sitting on the
porch. She was so blessed to see someone cares, and blessed
to see how much her children have changed.
Some of the rewards of serving Jesus in this
way have been sensing God blessing in a wonderful way after
serving Him, seeing the parents’ confidence in us, and having
their blessing. Sometimes it is just the simple reward of parents
opening the door before we are at the house, and sensing they
are thankful. It is also a blessing to watch the little children
when we pick them up on Tuesday. They are waiting with joy and
think all week about Tuesday church. Their parents always tell
us, “The children can’t wait until Tuesday!” And those little
children tell their parents everything, including the lessons
they learn (and about us). They talk in school and all over
the streets about the things they’ve learned. They also write
us notes and cards saying: “I love God, I love church, and I
love the way you teach. I love you.” What a blessing to see
their eyes sparkle with eagerness as they come and hear about
Jesus!
In my class they are learning to sing, pray,
and sit quietly during the lesson. They are learning to love
their parents and to obey them. At snack time two of the ones
who have behaved well during class time get to serve the others.
We have a behavior chart that includes things such as attendance,
helps to sing, kind to others, raises hand to talk, and more.
These teach the children many lessons during church. Every two
months the six children who have the most stickers get a reward.
An example of a reward would be sledding or skating in the winter.
These are opportunities to build relationships with them. We
reward the good and discourage anything that points to sin.
I love it so much. It is teaching me patience, kindness, self-control,
etc. I am also learning to lead out with gentleness and with
consideration of others. Praise God!
Marcus Waldner, Purple Route
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I am thankful for the opportunity that I have
to work in Lancaster Children’s Ministry. Every Tuesday I look
forward to seeing my little friends from the city: just to take
an interest in their lives, hear their stories, play with them,
and then, to be with them in class, watching their faces and
listening as they try to grasp from the lesson truth that they
have never heard before. But they don’t always sit and listen.
Frequently they bring some ugly attitudes and almost wild behavior
along. And sometimes they don’t even come. They might not feel
like it, or they might have moved. It seems like moving is something
that happens quite often among “my” children. It might be just
down the street, or it might be to the next state. Just recently
three of my little friends moved to New York. One week they
were there, and the next week they were gone. It was almost
hard to believe, but it made me realize how important it is
to take every opportunity we get to share the truth with them,
to tell them that God loves them and died for them, to give
them hope for a better life. My desire and prayer is that I
will take every opportunity I get to do that, to make a difference
in their lives.
Melody Martin, Orange Route
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Many times we read in the Bible of God passing
judgment on entire civilizations because of their sin. And yet,
there was often a man of God, a prophet, who, though he spoke
God’s judgment, was deeply burdened over the terrible state
of his people. Our society today is not much different than
the descriptions we find of these ancient civilizations. And
in the midst of all the sin we see around us, there is a generation
of children growing up who know no absolutes, no standards,
and no God but self. I want to share several snapshots of experiences
we have had with our children in an effort to give you a window
into their lost, hurting souls.
The influences of sin begin to manifest themselves
even in the very young. When you see a
two-year-old make vulgar hand signs at someone, when you watch
a five-year-old walk past already dressing in a very sensual
way, when you hear a nine-year-old use language that makes your
ears burn, what does that do to you? I thought children were
supposed to have an air of innocence about them! Where are they
being exposed to things of this nature? Sadly, it is in their
homes, in their school—everywhere. They are watching Mom and
Dad and sometimes even their grandparents. They are building
on the foundation that the generations before them have laid.
But what I think burdens our hearts even more
is our teenagers. They have grown up in the midst of immorality,
broken homes, and fighting. To them, it has become normal; it’s
just how life is. Now they stand at the crossroads and must
decide if this is the path of life on which they are going to
walk. Some have already taken the first steps on the dangerous
road to destruction and carry a load of sin that no young person
should ever bear. Many can tell you of a relative or friend
who has spent time behind bars. They can point out the place
in their school parking lot where a fellow student was shot
over a few dollars. They know where the gang fights take place
and can point out a drug dealer without any problem. These are
today’s teenagers.
They have told us many times that God’s ways
are great for us, but they just don’t work in the city. And
it’s no surprise they feel this way with all they see around
them. There are no universal standards in their lives. Things
are based simply on how you feel about it in their world. Just
recently, one of our girls told me about a school assignment
in which she was asked to give her opinion on a school for homosexuals.
Where are the absolutes of right and wrong, truth and error,
in this generation?
When you know a twelve-year-old who has tried
to commit suicide, how do you reach out to her? How do you really
get to her heart? When you lift up the standard of moral purity
with all its beauty and blessing, and your young teenage friend
looks at you with sad eyes and asks, “But what do you do if
it’s already too late?”—how do you answer? Does your heart ache
along with his? When you meet a very expectant mother on the
street, and she tells you she’s only fourteen, does it grieve
your heart? And later, when you see her pushing a stroller with
her own baby in it, can you get your mind around the fact that
in reality this girl is just starting high school and isn’t
even old enough to drive? How would you react in these situations?
How thankful we are for the blood of Jesus
that cleanses all sin! Not one is too big for Him! He is the
only answer for us, for all these young people, for the world.
It is His face we must continually seek, His image we must reflect,
and His truth we must lift up. It is He alone who can pick up
the broken pieces and ashes of a ruined life and make it into
something beautiful. It is our dear Lord Jesus that we are constantly
running to for wisdom and direction in reaching the hearts of
our children. He is our hope, our example, our everything!
So, why do I share all of this? Maybe it will
give some of you who read this a burden to pray
for our young people. But more importantly, please know that
you will find young people as I have described all across this
nation. I’m sure some live right in your area. They are lost
souls waiting for the light. This generation needs men and women
of God who, like the prophets of old, will carry the burden
of their own people on their hearts. Can you hear their cries?
Jennifer Brown, Purple Route
