When kids turn 10 years old at Calvary Motul, they change over from the Sunday school ministry to the youth ministry. This year we did it a little bit differently as there were so many turning 10 in a such a short amount of time. During a Sunday service this month, we had those kids who turned 10 (or soon will) participate in a little graduation. There were nine kids who graduated up to the youth ministry. Some of these kids we have known since they were just little toddlers in the nursery. We also had two little ones from the nursery (ages 1-4) turn 5 years old and they went up to the Sunday school ministry. What a blessing to see these kids not only grow up physically and in age, but in their faith as they are being taught the Scriptures.
As we start another year, we look at the events that we will have in the months to come. Last October we tried out doing our VBS during the night and we had a good turn-out. In June we will have a youth team come from Calvary Fort Lauderdale. We plan to do another 3-night VBS during while they are here and have the extra help. The preparation has already begun as it takes many months to write, create, search, plan, practice and put together all of the details.
In October we will have a team from City Light Port Orange come serve with us. During their time here, we hope to host the "Gala Night" that we have mentioned in the past. This night will be for people in Motul that have special needs or are physically challenged. To do this is going to be difficult, as being a Christian church is a barrier to pass for many. A lot of them will be reluctant to attend thinking the worst of us, that we are looking to convert them the moment they pass the threshold of the doors. Also, culturally, special needs people are shunned and many times hidden away because many “churches” say that they are that way because of hidden sin. In our city, they are looked upon as the least of these.
So many families hide away because of the burdens they carry and how painful it becomes to hear the same harsh comments over and over. We want to break that cycle. We want to create something special - a night that they and their families are loved and cared for. Our desire is to share the love that Jesus has for them and for them to know how special they are to Him! And then, we pray and hope, because of the peace and joy that they experience that night, they would seek after and come back to our church that loves them, accepts them, welcomes them, and they would become a part our Calvary Motul family. That they would come to know their Savior who loves them and wants a personal relationship with them.
We want to go all out, from the moment they step in the front door to the moment they leave - to be celebrated, loved and cared for. The reality is - an event like this is expensive. Last summer we did relocate the bathrooms to the first floor, but we do have a few more things to add still like handicap bars and ramps. For the night itself, if we do go all out, we will need to raise some support to make it happen. We ask you to pray, if you could be involved in some way to help make this a special night. This could impact our entire city with the love of Jesus Christ. We have an opportunity to be a part of something special. We simply ask you to pray for this Gala Night and see if God would have you be a part in some way.
Commentaires