GFM

Imparting a Vision for Missions to Children

Many a missionary has given testimony of how a vision for missions was imprinted on their hearts and minds at a young age. We share this story as an example of what can be done to help children catch a vision for missions. It is exciting to see how all the children just "disappear" after the church service at Charity Christian Fellowship. They hurry downstairs so as to not miss their little weekly activity! Even the creative name they gave to the group implies forward movement:
Go Forth Ministries. The Editors

I have been asked to share the story of how God has been showing Go Forth Ministries ways to "serve as senders." Our vision is to help equip children with the knowledge of God's heart in missions and the need to GO and tell about His love for sinners even at a very young age. Perhaps God will spark a flame in some other youthful hearts to help the next generation get a vision for what they can do, even if they are only 9 years old.

A couple years ago, several children in our church had the idea of starting a little missions group in which they could focus on ways to prepare to be missionaries while they are young. Their goal also was to bless and encourage the missionaries our church had sent out. Their small idea began to grow as all of their younger brothers and sisters wanted to join in. I saw their "growth problems" and offered to take the 18 younger children and do another separate class that could be more directed to their level. As God blessed and more people found out about where all the little children were scurrying to after church, our class grew!

Once we had reached a regular attendance of 60 children every Sunday, we decided it was time to again divide the group as it was hard to be personal with each child. Also, our age span was so diverse that it made teaching difficult. This was blessed by the brotherhood and all the changes went smoothly. Sarah Barker and Joy Hurst now have the 3-8 year olds, and I have the 9-11 year olds. Both of our classes continue to grow! The older children, ages 12-15, had been sensing the need to have more direction in their times of meeting and a committed leader to teach them. The ministry asked for a volunteer, and Stanley Wollman has taken this responsibility. We are blessed to see that class growing also. The older class is focused more on a discipleship level, keeping each other accountable for things such as personal quiet time. They strive to make the lessons very practical to the struggles they as teenagers might be going through.

Here is a sketch of the way things normally go in a typical class. After church is dismissed, the children who attend our classes are seen hurrying to get to their classrooms downstairs. Most times we open with a song or prayer and then teach a lesson or read a story. We have participated in many different activities over these last few years, so I would like to share a few of our ideas.

*Studying a particular country. Sarah and Joy have taken their class on a journey through many different countries-all while sitting in the church basement. They have done this by discussing various aspects of a specific country, showing clothes and items, and ending the lesson by providing the children with a take-home coloring sheet about the country they studied. Every time they look at the picture they colored, they remember what they learned on Sunday. They have also had guest missionaries speak to them.

*Missionary stories and biographies. The children are thrilled to hear about what God has done through great men and women in history, and then see how we can apply it to our lives today. Sometimes we read through a whole book, reading a chapter every Sunday; other times it may be a recent e-mail from one of our own missionaries.

*Taking offerings for specific needs that arise on the field (a new boat motor for a missionary, a bicycle for a national helper, kerosene for a widow, etc.)

*Discussing ways we can be missionaries at home and challenging each other to witness and pass out tracts

*Focused times of prayer for missions and lost souls. (In the beginning, the children found it challenging to pray in front of children their same age, but with time they have really grown in this area.)

*Picking a missionary to pray for in the next week and committing to write them.

*Packing bags for persecuted Christians in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Not everything we do is focused on missions. Some of the other projects that have filled our times are:

*Memorizing Scriptures at home and quoting them together on Sunday.

*Writing notes of encouragement to our ministers or putting together a basket of gifts for a struggling family.

*Reading a certain passage of Scripture at home and bringing thoughts to share with everyone.

The children (and teachers) are being stretched, but we enjoy it so much that none of us ever wants to miss class. Besides providing an excellent place for the children to be after church while the parents have some fellowship, it has also been so good for us as teachers who need to prepare something to share every Sunday. The church support has been wonderful, and a few fathers take turns overseeing the classes every Sunday. God is faithful!

Perhaps by reading this and seeing some of our ideas in pictures, God has laid a burden on your heart to teach the children in your church about missions. It seems that if missions is laid out clearly in young children's minds, it will become a part of their lives more naturally. Then when they are older, it will be easier to respond to God's call on their hearts to GO. My encouragement to you as youth is: if you feel God speaking to you to get involved in equipping children to "serve as senders," do it! You will reap rich rewards and God's name will be glorified through you.

by Hannah Kenaston