God is Big!  Final Kids Club Report

 

Thank you dear friends for your precious gifts of prayer and all sorts of support … Kids Club was amazing … lives were changed, leaders emerged and were discipled.  The message that God is big and the anticipation to see what love can do captured us all.  We ended with hearts full and the children left hopeful for more.  Their kid's club t-shirts and CD’s with the music of the program will remind them each day of all they learned and all they believed.

 

I wanted to give you a glimpse of our lessons from our God is Big curriculum with an image from Kids Club to remind us that the truths Israel was learning in the desert are for us too.

. 

"See What Love Can Do"

Is our God big enough to change me?  We have been living this question for this summer. We sang about it, taught about it, talked about it … both a spoken and an unspoken prayer to give us confidence that this big God would prove once again that He can enter this pain, this place with His presence and provide.

 

God chose Israel.  The kids in my class wanted to know why these people had so much trouble, all the time.  I gave extra points in class for what I would call the "beautiful question".  Because of our curriculum they asked questions, lots of them, about these oppressed and stiff necked people who God adored, these Hebrew slaves which God freed.  Why would God continue to work with these people?  Why was He determined to teach them to trust Him? Why did it take 400 years to bring them to a place where they cried out to Him? Why did it take 40 years in the desert that they might finally believe, after daily provision that He was able, that His love was big enough to trust.  Trusting God … our kids were starting to get it, to know that in suffering, God is not only present but trying to bring them to a place where they can believe that He can and will take care of them.  Our leaders grappled with this, our kids grappled … is He big enough … can I begin to learn to trust Him?

 

One song from our Kids Club CD was written by an African artist, once a child soldier.  The kids loved it, maybe because they saw themselves in this rescued orphan.  He sings about his beloved Emma McCue, the "angel" God used.  It is his story of the love that rescues.  What can love do?  Well, one thing we know for sure, for LOVE to do anything, it will have to use me and you to do it.  (click to play the song Emma McCue, watch Emmanual Jal deliver the lyrics to the song on YouTube, or tune in to his recent NPR interview)
 

"What is this Stuff?" Manna, the kids learned, means "what is this stuff".  Everyday Israel woke up to provision, food, tasty ready-to-cook food.  The sky rained food and Israel experienced their God parenting His abused and tortured people.  And they nicknamed this daily provision.   We have for many years now, believed that Neighborhood Ministries was supposed to live like this.  To wake up in the morning, open the mail, and receive the provision financially that our loving, parenting Lord had for us this day, to pay the bills.  Manna … we have learned to call it.   As Kids Club bills stack up, we were particularly concerned about the rising gas prices.  Going after our kids is no small feat.  You know our commitment.  A fleet goes out, north, south, east, west … 100 mile radius.  "Yes, you will be picked up" … "No, its not too far" … "The van (bus) is coming, don't worry".     You helped!  God used you to help be manna for Kids Club.  Daily we gassed the buses and vans, kids were picked up, 500 everyday.  $6,500.00 was gifted to cover this, looks like we spent about $7,167.60 on gas alone.  Manna, we still count on it.

Finances   Summer is expensive here at Neighborhood ministries.  Thanks for all your help so far.  Would you stay involved as we finish!  Manna … God's provision. Kids Camp -- $250.00 sends a kid to camp Summer emerging leader interns -- $2,000.00 – their final paycheck for a summer of hard work

 

"Let God speak to you and you tell us what He says"

God's people didn't want to believe that God knew everything and could see them.  Old head messages based on the contempt of the Egyptian god's for their Hebrew slaves corrupted any idea of their value.  Why would they want to hear what the God of Israel would tell them about their story?  That intimate God was too much in their business.  Distance … they wanted distance from this scary voice they could hear from the valley.  They wanted Moses to go up there and talk to Him, while they stayed down below doing what they wanted. Rescue … yet these people were free now, by the mighty hand of God, love had rescued them and being known by this loving God was their only salvation.  

 

Our young leaders are learning this.  Their vulnerability and truth telling astounds onlookers and older leaders alike.  In fact, I hear their peers affirm their ability to intimately invite each other into the recesses of their hearts.  God knowing … not scary, liberating, beautiful.

 

Anna grew up in Kids Club.  Her children are now in Kids Club.  She wandered for years, lost in the dark places of our city, until this past Easter.  Her conversion and baptism won't soon be forgotten.  Her sister has been a small group leader for me in Kids Club for a couple of years now.  This year Anna burst on the scene.  Burst is a good word, because Anna carries a big presence.  Sitting at her sister's table she began to befriend some of the toughest girls, ones that reminded her of herself these many years ago.  Transformed in the heart, Anna all of a sudden cared about somebody else, most particularly the girl, that one girl who might not have to wander all over the place looking for hope, like she has.  The last day in my class … open mike for sharing … Anna … vulnerable, lost, but now found, happy, useful, doing her best to tell the story that has been and is now … and then her newly found protégé walked up to the mike.  Her message:  "leave the life of gangs and death, do it now while you can".  Intimacy, vulnerability, telling the truth … celebrating that God knows us and we can know each other in truth.  What a gift! 

 

"The Presence of God"

My sweet (and first) grandchild, Katy, is one month old.  She made a small appearance at this, our 20^th Kids Club.  The next generations of kids clubbers were everywhere from pre-school to 6^th grade this summer.  Their parents were hard at work teaching classes, serving as small group leaders, and playing multiple leadership roles throughout the program.  Kids Club has many traditions and predictable rhythms.  We count on them; they give us a sense of continuity.  Those of you that have followed this ministry over the years have learned to hear familiar prayer requests and have celebrated the miraculous outcomes that we hold out for each summer.  Whether it's for safety in our vehicles, transformations and baptisms, leadership development, or kids found … Kids Club has become a metaphor or symbol for what this work is all about.

 

Our unchanging God revealed himself to Israel in the desert uniquely.  They were going through the desert to learn about God, to be wooed by Him, to be taught to trust Him.  Deserts are challenging places, where it is difficult to live easily.  Only during these 40 years of wandering was God present physically in such a unique way.  His visible presence was with them with a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night.  

 

Kids Club has become a physical way in which we all, from leaders to kids, run into the presence of God.  The tangible ways in which we grow, encounter each other, experience blessing and know truth are definite.  We expect this now after twenty years, the traditions and rhythms, the generations, they remind us, God is present among us, and He is unchanging.  I want my granddaughter Katy to learn all these things, and I hope she learns them here at Kids Club.

 

          

"Thank You"

Building something like Kids Club takes the talents of hundreds, literally!  God wanted Israel to build Him a home, a traveling temple they called the tabernacle.  These traveling ex-slaves were not the dregs or throw-aways of society.  Instead, they were creative and talented people who were capable of extraordinary craftsmanship.  So much so, that God himself calls them out by name, Bezalel and Oholiab to name two, for their excellence and contribution.

 

I wanted to call out a few people by name, who built an incredible Kids Club.  Emily Fankhauser, WELL DONE!  For the first summer as director, you pulled together a solid team, gave great direction and managed to love people through sleepless nights, spiritual attacks and a big job.  You clung to the reality that God is indeed Big!  I am so proud of you.  Jeremy and Dee, you led one of the best work crews we have had.  You led as servant leaders lead, from behind, allowing this work crew to reveal their strengths and gifts.  Work crew, your hardest work was in loving kids – kids were loved this summer powerfully through you.  Donovan and Darshell, this was undoubtedly the best morning program we have ever had.  Pencie, the crafts were incredible.  Christina and Lilian, you covered the hub with diligence.  Noel, the activities have left a legacy on this property.  We will remember that God is Big for years to come.  Chris, worship was strong and remains one of the favorites of this Kids Club, preserved on the CD for them.  Rosalba, the kitchen team labored in love for 700 people.  We ate well every day!  Teachers, day crew, vehicle drivers and support staff, you were faithful, labored in love and changed lives.  Thank you all, for believing yourselves, that God is big and He could be big through you and your unique gifts.  You contributed in building this Kids Club as one of the most spiritual and impactful of all!

 

 “Toward a hope and a future”

Yes, it did take 40 years, and no Moses didn’t make it into the Promised Land.  Regardless, Israel had a dream, a promise from God that they were going toward their future, a land flowing with milk and honey.  

 

“When the Hebrews were slaves the only thing they could hope for was a painless death.  When you’re a slave to the most powerful nation on earth you probably cannot even hope for your freedom and without something to hope for, death is your only dream.  That is why people who have nothing to hope for, die, if only on the inside, in their soul they just cease to live.  The God who is big knew all of this and why shouldn’t He?  He made all of us.  He knows how we work and what we need, and the God who is big knows that big dreams build big hopes.  God knows that if people will dare to dream, will trust Him for their dreams, He knows that if they will sacrifice in order to get to their dreams, their hopes will become even greater and their lives will be full and wonderful.  God knows we all need something to dream, something we will work for, something we will commit to and not let any obstacle that gets in our way stop us.” (from the Kids Club curriculum)

 

Kids Clubbers from age 4-14 dreamed their dreams this Kids Club.  They are painted on small flags and strung together, and hang from the ceiling in our auditorium.  For years to come, we will watch the children who dreamed these dreams develop.  Come see for yourselves an image you will not easily forget.  Children from families, not to dissimilar from these Hebrew slaves, believing that they can and will soar!

 

 “Listen to me!”

The curriculum lesson for this day begins, “Who is big enough to tell you what to do?”  “Who gets to make the rules?”

 

I watched leaders try to tell their kids to stop this or that, intervene when a kids was in trouble or just get frustrated because something bad seemed out of their control.  What captured my attention, however, was when leaders took an extraordinary amount of time with kids in trouble to explain what their behavior meant to them.  It usually started out like this:  “I was just like you when I was your age.  I was really bad and my leaders would _______________.”  This usually grabbed the kid’s attention, and they would listen to what their leader was trying to describe as a really bad outcome if they didn’t correct this destructive way of behaving.  What struck me wasn’t the kid’s response or even a corrected behavior, what struck me was the time leaders would take to lay it out for “their” kids; to almost beg them to listen to them.  Now, lots of water was under that kid-bridge and these leaders had learned the consequences of not listening to someone, anyone who cared.  Some had endured prison, some years of damaging street life, for some, they were already moms and were trying corrective measures with their own children.  Life moves on and is cruel to those who haven’t learned how to get on a better path.  Rebellion to God’s rules causes a lot of pain and misery.  “Listen to me”, begged many leaders this kids club.

 

The ex-slave Hebrews had many things to learn and to unlearn.  Four hundred years of slave life had born generations of inability to know right from wrong, victimization had led to a mentality of victims.  Justification was part of it.  God gave them rules; we call them the 10 commandments, to teach them how to be both successful and happy, a good God with good rules.  These rules would ultimately allow Israel to know the heart of God.

 

Similarly, we have to learn, that obedience to God’s rules is just another form of trusting Him.  We cannot love each other and disobey God.  We cannot love ourselves and disobey God.  We cannot love God if we do not love each other.  When we obey God we live in such a way that others can become better, get help, find strength.  When we do not obey God we destroy each other, cause pain, weaken our families, keep each other in trouble and misery.  I watched young street wise leaders plead with their kids to listen to them on this one.

click to watch the Kids Club slideshow on YouTube