The boy in club

God has been laying something on my heart and that is the children. I mean, I work in children's ministry but as I work with some teachers and other adults, I see the apathy towards the cries of the children. Let's use this boy in my Good News Club (GNC) as an example, we will call him Jace.

Photo by Katherine Chase on Unsplash

My first impression of him was at an open house for the school and his mom was signing him up for GNC. First impression was that he seemed like a sweet kid. He is a 3rd grader with a brother in 2nd grade. Jace smiled at me and launched into conversation and his brother, we'll call him Dan, joined in.  They seemed like cool kids. Their mother did not seem cool. She was overweight, almost toothless, scantily dressed and in your face rude. She not only rebuffed my attempts to make small talk, she instead proceeded to tell me that her son, Jace, was a terrible kid. She warned me that he was going to be a problem in club. After a few tense minutes, she left my table with her boys and went over to another table where she announced to the women there, "This is Jace, he is a lying, stealing cheat; was can you do to fix him?" I could has slapped her. Her son was standing among not only peers, but adults and being told that he was worthless and unlovable. I went home that night in a fury of anger. How could a mother treat her son this way? How can the woman who should love this child the most berate and criticize him in front of adults? If anyone should be standing up for Jace, it should be his mother.
Club started the following week. I made it a point to remember Jace and his brother's names. "Jace and Dan. Jace and Dan. Jace and Dan. Jace and Dan." I repeated this over and over to get it into my head. When they arrived I was thrilled and they were excited that I remembered their names. I was apprehensive, maybe I should be more cautious. I am sure their mother knows her sons better than I would. Maybe she has good reason to be so upfront and critical of Jace.
Opening prayer, no problems, song, no problems, memory verse, no problems, Bible lesson, no problems, review game, closing, snacks, no problems! We have had SIX weeks of club. No problems. Here's the thing, Jace is not the problem. Jace is the victim of trauma.
Hear me out, why does a child act out? For the fun of it or to get attention? Maybe because the only way he knows to have an adult notice him is by acting out. As a child, they need to know that someone cares and loves them. I look at Jace and I see, not a problem child, but a child desperately crying out for someone to love him but coming away empty. I see teachers, parents, pastors, who have written him off as a lost cause; at 9 years old! "Jace is a problem child" "Jace causes problems in club" "Jace doesn't listen" Jace needs love! The love of an adult who will take the time to get to know him and show him the love of God in a practical way. Jace needs someone to care enought to love him like Jesus does. Jesus loves Jace. Jace is a child of God. Whether he has assurance or not, he has believed in Jesus and is a beloved child of the king. Jace is a precious treasure, the apple of God's eye, a prince.

People say "you are worthless," God says, "you are a priceless treasure."
People say "you are a problem child," God says, "you are my child."
People say "you are unlovable," God says, "I love you, Jace."

Photo by Alex Guillaume on Unsplash

The Christmas Shoe Boxes

The other day I went shopping for the Operation Christmas Child shoe box. I love doing a shoe box and have done it a few years in the past. I've been trying to make it a tradition, but sometimes life takes you in a different direction. But this year, I would get back on track. I love the feeling of being a part of something bigger than myself. I get joy from each step in the process: picking up the empty box, making grand plans, going to the store, buying all the items I can fit, going home, packing the box, and finally taking it to the drop point. I find joy in giving and I thank God for that.

This year I wanted to do a box for a boy in 3rd grade. In my Good News Club I have a boy who is in 3rd grade and he is a great kid that I really enjoy having in club. He comes from a rough home, is always dirty looking, and (I've been told) has a problem with lying and stealing. But I love him. God loves him. I want to show the love to God to this boy. (More about him in a later post)

Getting back to the shoe boxes, I kept this boy in mind as I shopped. I thought about what he might like or need. I picked out things like a toothbrush, comb, soap, washcloth, band-aids, socks, a sweater, a hat, pens, pencils, notebooks, toy cars, a blanket, and a few other things. It got a little bit out of hand. But all the way I felt empty, the joy I had felt in years past was gone. I snapped at Christopher in the check-out line, rode home in silence, and felt an overwhelming sense of guilt as I got home and looked at my haul. But why? I was doing something that I love to do, and doing it for God. Why did I feel like I was doing something wrong?

I still do not know. Maybe my time in college has changed my view of missions and how we as Westerners should do missions. For so long, and even now, some missionaries view the national people as less than themselves. They would not put it that way, but they go in and expect the native people to change their culture to look more like ours (because our way of worshiping is obviously what Jesus commanded and his disciples practice (sarcasm)). We have hero complex. They need us. If we, the heroes, do not send something to those poor starving Africans they could never survive. How arrogant. If they could just be more like us, they would have it right. [just scratching the surface of this topic, if you want to read more about Ethnocentrism and colonialism, here are a few articles: Contextualization without Syncretism, Be a Cultural Detective , Do Missionaries Destroy Cultures? Send me a message if you would like to talk more about this]

I do not know if that is it.
But I will tell you what I do know.
God is using Operation Christmas Child to reach children around the world with the Gospel. Whether this is the #1 most effective ministry, I do not know. But God knows, and He knows where my heart is. I want to reach the children of the world.

But that got me thinking, what about the children in my area.

The whole time I was shopping, I was thinking about the boy from Good News Club and what I would get him if this was his shoe box. But he does not get a shoe box. I will buy stuff to fill a box and pay for it to be shipped around the world to a child I have never met, but I forget about the child who has a need right here in my club. I began to formulate a plan and the plan is this: giving the children in my club a miniature shoe box of their own. This plan brings me joy.

I'll still send a classic shoe box (or two or three), but also reach the children in my Good News Club. I already filled and am ready to send my OCC box, but I need your help to fill the other boxes.
The logistics of this plan are a bit overwhelming. I have 23 kids in my club, rounding up to 25 in case I get more. If I get each child a small box costing $10 (probably will be more like $20), that is $250 ($500) total. Is it worth it, yes. It is doable? Maybe. Could I use some help? Definitely.

If you want to help, you can purchase items on Amazon here (Don't laugh, but it says baby registry. Do not be fooled, there is no Marx baby, just 25 Good News Club kids.)

I am planning to give the kids the boxes on December 18th. If you cannot help buy items, please at least pray. These children need to know that God loves them. They hear it every week in club, but pray that the message will saturate and sink in. That they will know that Jesus loves them sooooo much. That they will put their trust in Jesus and be saved. Please pray for the children.