As a young girl I remember dressing up and going to church with my parents. Sitting still and being quiet was all I remember learning from church. I never learned about Jesus as a young child. I thought he was the reason I got presents at Christmas. It was not until I was a little older that I started back to church and began learning the truth. The younger ages are the most influential time for a child to learn. They learn to count, say their ABC’s, and the different colors and shapes. But most importantly, they learn right from wrong. This is the age that we can start helping build a good foundation for their life using God’s word the Bible. Many churches in Honduras do not have classes to help children learn God’s word at a level they can understand. Children attend church like I did when I was little. Never taught until they are a youth or young adult.
For the past 5 years we have been working diligently to change this through the ministries we work with here in Honduras and Guatemala. Our first children’s ministry was in La Laguna with my family teaching weekly 35 children. Now, we are reaching out to 16 different communities and 4 schools with 17 teachers ministering God’s word to over 350 children weekly. Three years ago, Shawn ministered to me about duplicating myself and training up children’s teachers within every church to minister the class themselves. I stepped out of the classroom and began to impart all my gifts and talents into children’s teachers. I started writing Bible lessons customized to minister to the needs of children here and easier for teachers to understand. We also share these lessons monthly with 46 missionaries in Honduras and Guatemala via internet to use in their ministries.
Monthly, every teacher and assistant come to learn each lesson for the month and receive their supplies. I teach the lesson as though the teachers are the children of my class. This gives the teachers “hands on” training and an opportunity to see how all visual aids are used throughout the lesson. Prior to the class there is much preparation: classroom memory verse displays; purchase and organization of lesson supplies; to the coping and cutting out of every child’s craft to take home. We must compel the children to come to church and learn. We have to equip every teacher with tools and supplies to make their class fun, enjoyable, and safe to learn about God.
If you want to teach and train up a generation start when they are children. Something will influence their life, why not let it be the church and God’s word? That is what a children’s ministry will do.
Nancy Paul
Monthly, every teacher and assistant come to learn each lesson for the month and receive their supplies. I teach the lesson as though the teachers are the children of my class. This gives the teachers “hands on” training and an opportunity to see how all visual aids are used throughout the lesson. Prior to the class there is much preparation: classroom memory verse displays; purchase and organization of lesson supplies; to the coping and cutting out of every child’s craft to take home. We must compel the children to come to church and learn. We have to equip every teacher with tools and supplies to make their class fun, enjoyable, and safe to learn about God.
If you want to teach and train up a generation start when they are children. Something will influence their life, why not let it be the church and God’s word? That is what a children’s ministry will do.
Nancy Paul
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