Reach them when they’re young
I’m traveling to Alabama tomorrow to speak at a fundraiser for a church camp they want to build. I’d like to share with you the story I’m going to begin my talk with, because it will help you understand why this is so important to me, and why it’s so important for all of us to be aware of ministry opportunities to kids.
I was 10 years old that summer. I was an only child in a home where both parents worked. They were afraid of what we’d get up to if I had friends over after school, and by the time they got home and we’d had dinner they didn’t want me going out so I never really had the chance to build friendships. On the weekend, my parents would go to the lake to hang out with their friends—none of whom had any kids my age.
So I was thrilled to death when my cousins in Kentucky asked me to come down and spend a week at a kids’ Bible camp, held at a church camp near Morehead. I didn’t grow up in a Christian home. I didn’t really know what a Bible camp was! All I knew was that it was a chance to go have fun with my cousins for a while. I don’t even remember the name of the camp, but the father of the cousins I liked so much was the pastor of a SouthernBaptist church, so I imagine that was its affiliation.
Well, we had a blast. There was a whole lot of playtime. That’s where I learned you’re supposed to pour the bag of peanuts right down into your bottle of Dr. Pepper. But there were also times for Bible stories. One guy in particular I still remember… we called him Mr. Ken, and he was quite a storyteller. He had such a great way of building the atmosphere and keeping kids’ attention. He told stories of Elijah, and David. I’m sure there were more, but after all these years I can still remember him telling those.
It was such a fun, relaxed time. I guess I might have been even more open to the teaching because it wasn’t in some formal church situation that can be intimidating to kids. But when he told the story of Jesus, it just all sunk in for me. I realized these weren’t just stories from a book like any other.This Jesus guy really had lived and breathed and done things that you’d only expect superheroes to be able to do! I don’t remember them doing anything like an altar call there, but looking back on it that’s truly when I became a Christian.
That’s just the beginning, of course… but to hear the rest you’ll have to come to the Stoney Creek Church Camp tomorrow night. And for the sake of all the lives they’re going to touch, please bring your checkbooks.
