July 2009

Living in a culture that usually measures success by quantity, it is hard to always appreciate small numbers. But the first 5-Day Club I helped teach this summer had only one child for the first two days.

Patrick, 9, was a bright, articulate child, ready to listen and to participate. I assumed he attended church until I asked a simple question to which the answer was “Jesus.” Patrick didn’t even know His name.

Turns out, he has never been to church because his parents are antagonistic to spiritual things. But because next-door neighbor Renee is building a relationship with them, he was allowed to come to
her club. As the week progressed (and more children joined in), it was precious to see God at work.

His mother told Renee that each day Patrick insisted on practicing his verses and sharing what he had learned with his parents, his grandmother and any relatives who called on the phone. “He’s learned a lot. He told me the definition he learned about sin,” she said, and then proceeded to give it as clearly as any child in our club!

During the week, the family experienced a major crisis, and Renee was right there, trying to help any way she could. While everyone was sitting around under a black cloud because of the problems, in walked Patrick singing, “I’ve got joy, down in my heart, deep, deep down in my heart.”

Patrick didn’t have a Bible so I told him I’d bring him one the next day. When I arrived, he flew down to my car. “Did you remember my Bible?” he asked. He was so excited to hear how he could read a few verses each day, asking God to help him understand them and obey.

Then Patrick attended a second 5-Day Club in his neighborhood and sweetly prayed to receive Christ on the last day. Many of us rejoiced right along with the angels in Heaven!

Another child, Cailynn, came all week to a club in Iowa, listened closely, and on Friday prayed to trust Christ for salvation. “Her decision was so genuine,” intern Rachel Woolard reported with great joy.

An 11-year-old unchurched boy named Storm put his faith in Christ on the first day of the club he attended. “Storm and I talked about growing as Christians and about how he could read 11 verses a day in his Bible. The next day he came back to club and told me very excitedly that he had read all of the way to Genesis 7:8,” teacher Katie Reiss said.

Big clubs or small ones, children are coming to Jesus and even impacting their families. Please pray for our clubs!