Todd really connects to the Bible lesson

We met Todd last year at Good News Club. Since then Todd has been at every children's event we offer. Last summer at our Day Camp, Todd received Christ as Savior. Yesterday I saw him at GNC at his school. I was teaching the Bible lesson from 1 Kings when Elijah ran for his life after being threated with death by Queen Jezebel. The objective for the lesson was to realize that when things go wrong in your life remember that God is faithful to take care of you even when it seems like he can't. When I shared that Elijah felt all alone, Todd could relate. He says he feels that way every day at lunch. At the end of the Bible lesson, I said "I'm not sure what problems you are facing, but I do know God is faithful to take care of you." Todd broke in and shared his problem with me. As he shared, I could see this was something Todd really was struggling with. Todd clearly knew he was God's child, but this issue was causing him pain. So, I had the privilage of giving him ways he can trust God to take care of him. Todd really took the memory verse to heart, Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God." How great it is to stand back and watch God work. It was an amazing scene to watch. At first I comment to my teaching partner later, "Wow! Did you see what God is doing in Todd's life.!" I'm not sure why I am suprised, because before we entered the school that day, we prayed for God to prepare hearts of the kids, to do a work in their hearts, and to teach through us, and that is exactly what God did.

"I love this part!"

Last month, we started a Good News Club at a brand new elementary school in Shorewood, Troy Hofer Elementary. What a club this is! There's about a dozen kids coming every week who are visibly excited at what they are learning about God. It is remarkable to see how this group of kids is really getting into God's Word. This week during my Bible lesson, Michelle kept moving closer towards the front, because she really wanted to hear everything she could. At the end of the lesson I always give an invitation to receive Christ as Savior. Just before I asked all the kids to bow their heads and close their eyes, Michelle looked up at me and said, "I love this part!" This made me smile. Praise God that He is doing a work in these kids lives.

Local School successfully adopted by local church

Several months ago, Church of the Good Shepherd of Joliet indicated their desire to adopt Crystal Lawns to have a Good News Club. Several weeks of training passed. The team was ready and we went in April 15. An experienced CEF teacher went with me to mentor and transition this GNC to the team from the Church of the Good Shepherd. The last two weeks the team has done a fantastic job of teaching the GNC. Richard, Jake, Karen, Don, and Danielle are doing well teach this great group of kids more about God. This group really listens intently went the Bible is taught. After two great weeks, I have given this club over to Church of the Good Shepherd!! Our chapter's first successful GNC-Church adoption this year. I left that school yesterday rejoicing and praising God for supplying more workers to share the Word! This makes four local schools adopted by churches. The search continues on for more churches to adopt schools.

Easter Egg Hunt a Huge Success

What a day we had on Saturday April 11. Thank you one and all for the role you played in helping make this day a success. 52 kids came to our Easter Egg Hunt. The day was first divided into three 20 mintue stations where they play games, learn a memory verse and have a snack, and listen to an Easter Bible lesson. The most important part of this is the Bible lesson. When the first group was given a change to receive Christ, five kids responded. When asked why they came back, each one responded "I want Jesus to be my Savior" " I want to be God's child" "I want God in my life" In total 16 kids prayed to recieve Christ as Savior. I have posted a slideshow for you to see just what happened that day. Praise God!

"Mom!! I'm God's Child"

Alexis started coming to my SPARKS program at church after attending VBS last summer. As far as I can tell, she does not attend church anywhere execpt at my home church on Wednesday evenings. Alexis has enjoyed coming to SPARKS this year. Towards the beginning of the year, Alexis came for the fun and did the memory verses without truly understanding what she was mem0rizing. Readers of my blog know that I have switched my SPARKS Bible lessons to PreSchool Bible lessons. Boy have we seen a turn around in the comprehension and retention of what is being taught from the Bible. Yesterday after the Bible lesson, Alexis indicated that she wanted to become God's child. So, her SPARKS leader, my mom, was able to counsel Alexis about becoming God's child. And she prayed and is now God's child. After her she was finished, My mom brought Alexis to me to tell me what she had done. She told me and she knew she was God's child. Over the course of the night, we took her to tell two other people whose child she was now. Each time, Alexis became more fluent in expressing what had happened. Then at the end of the night, my mom brought Alexis to her mom and told her what had happened. Alexis looked at her mom and said "Mom! I'm God's child!" Praise God for this changed life!!!!

"Can I pray?....No I want to pray!"

In the final moments of Good News Club at Creekside, we were planning to close off the club in prayer. I asked my teaching partner to pray. Before she could begin, Destiny (see article: Destiny: The girl who almost forgot about GNC") raised her hand and asked to pray. Then Yorel said no I want to pray. Fantasically surprised, both kids prayed. Destiny prayed first and she spoke so freely to God. It is so clear from this prayer that Destiny was speaking to her friend- God. It was so natural. Then Yorel prayed "Thank you God we can come to GNC and have fun Oh God and thank you that they [my teaching partner and I] came to our school so we can learn more about you." What a great way to end our GNC at Creekside! Praise God for what He is doing in the lives of these precious children.

"He needs me! He needs me!"

Yesterday at GNC, we finished the missionary story of Abner Pineda. My teaching partner told them, "By the time you become an adult, Abner will need someone to take his place." Without missing a heart beat, Yorel raised his hand and said, "He 'll need me. He'll need me. I want to be a missionary. In fact, I want to drive their now." Praise God that someone Yorel's age has such a passion for missions. I pray that God will continue to guide him. After all, I was about Yorel's age when I first learned of missions and expressed a desire to get involved in missions.