God-at-Work through the After School Program

May 12, 2023 | Uncategorized

By Jeanie Helman, Children’s Ministry Outreach Coordinator

 

By the time you read this report our After School Program will have ended for this school year.  We recently hosted a banquet for our families and honored four graduating students (5th graders going on to 6th grade).  It was a privilege to speak a blessing over each student and give them a Bible.  On Monday, April 24th we hosted a carnival in the gym for the students and have a bounce house and other games for them to play.

This year has been a true blessing.  Honestly, I cannot remember a better group of children to work with.  They came excited, eager to learn (most of the time) and cooperated in the activities we had planned.  They were respectful of each other and the leaders (most of the time) and helped each other.  Our expectations are RCK (Respect, cooperation and kindness).  We don’t always see it play out as it did this year.  This was a true blessing from God.

So, what were some of the things we did?

• We had weekly Bible lessons
• We tutored (did homework, read and played educational games)
• We shared dinner together
• We played in the gym and had a snack together

 

We also had many life lessons…here are just some of the things that the kids experienced:

• “The Art of Story Telling” class
• Made thank you gifts for their parents (photo and trivet)
• Workshops on how to manage big feelings
• Made string eggs
• Cooking class
• Sewing classes
• Gardening class
• Crafts

 

THEN WE HAD A BIG GOD MOMENT!

Around Easter I was preparing for a Monday Bible class, and couldn’t find the lesson I had planned on doing.  When it was not to be found, I began looking for another.  I settled on an Easter lesson that used an experiment as an attention-getter.  Little did I know what God had planned.  The experiment called for a peeled hard boiled egg, an old time glass milk jar and fire.  As the children watched, we talked about how the egg was too big to go into the milk jar.  We were going to use science to do what seemed impossible.  I lit the paper and tried to get it in the milk jug.  I couldn’t get it in because it was burning my hand.  The paper was thrown on the table and it was quite the attention getter.  We were glad we didn’t set the fire alarm off and tried again.

This time it was successful and the egg was sucked into the jar.  We learned that by using science we were able to do the impossible and likened it to how Jesus did the impossible by dying on the cross for our sins and coming back alive on Easter.  That was the introduction to the lesson we never got to.  The children started asking questions after question.  Final one little girl asked the question every Bible teacher longs for…”How do you become a Christian?”  After addressing that question, nine children prayed to receive Christ.  It was amazing!!!

God was up to something for sure… the Holy Spirit took over that lesson and brought nine little ones to God.  What a privilege it was to witness and be a part of the process.  God is good!

We end this program year with hearts full of gratitude and thanksgiving that we get to be a part of what God is doing in this world.  We are always looking for people who enjoy working with kids; and would like to help them to be successful in school and in life, by knowing Jesus.  Let me know if you are some-one who would like to help or learn more about helping (jhelman@kchurch.org).

 

 

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