Free @ TKC // Summer 2013 [Before]
That “@ sign” makes deciding on a hashtag for the week rather awkward.
Blogging about the different Christian summer activities I’m involved with is one of my favourite things. It’s a helpful way to focus my thoughts before and after – remembering the scale and importance of the task ahead and reflecting on the blessings and trials once it has passed. It’s also a means of keeping others informed and encouraged about the Lord’s work.
Normally, this stage of the summer would find me deep in the middle of The King’s Kids Club – a mammoth three weeks of all day Christian childcare at Chessington Evangelical Church. For a variety of reasons, Kids Club has now transformed into “Free @ TKC” – “a free, church-run, bible themed holiday club for school years 1-6, with crafts, sports, games and quizzes” (to quote the CEC website…). In essence, that’s no different from what it was before! But the club now runs just for one week, from 10pm – 3pm each day and is (as you may have guessed) free. These changes in structure have brought about some notable changes in the running of the club:
- free attendance means we’re attracting new kids, who’ve never heard the Gospel
- it means we’ll have roughly 90 too look after!
- it also means we’re reaching kids from low income families, whom we would not have reached previously
- altered running time means a wider variety of volunteers from the church. Reliance on the young people had become an unsustainable means of staffing.
The first “Free @ TKC” week ran in the Easter holidays. I sadly couldn’t take part, but reports tell me that it was a roaring success. I’m excited to experience the differences – new kids, new team members. It’s a joy to be part of bold steps taken for Jesus.
The Bible teaching the week is entitled “On Tour With Jesus”. It’s a journey through the Gospel of Luke. It’s easy to think “ugh, gospels. Been there, done that”. But what could be better than to look again at the life of Jesus? I’m really excited to help teach the kids the Bible this week, but I always learn something new myself!
Youth work is an exhausting endeavour – physically and spiritually. It can seem fruitless and thankless for a very long time. But it drives me deeper into the truth of these words from the Lord:
“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” – Isaiah 55:10-11
This is God’s work. We plant and water the seed, but he alone causes it to grow – in his time and for his glory. I was one of those irritating kids once, not really interested in the Gospel. But God was working in my heart throughout my childhood. Everything I had slowly soaked up over the years all came together when I was 12 and I gave my life to Christ.
God knows this week’s outcome already. His concern for these kids is infinitely greater than mine. Let’s pray together that he would make good on his promises and that his kingdom would be built in the lives of these kids from Chessington.
- Pray that the kids would enjoy the club and find that it’s a safe place, full of love
- Pray that the kids would have soft hearts, ready to hear and believe the Gospel
- Pray for unity between the leaders and helpers
- Pray for Gareth Edwards as he delivers the Bible teaching each day
Oh, and the hashtag is #FreeAtTKC.
An Unshakable Kingdom 