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Two for the Price of One
By Rebecca Carpenter
Carolina Conference
Why hold just one evangelistic meeting when you can conduct two at the very same time? This is exactly what the folks at the Elizabeth City, North Carolina, church have done.
When it was learned that two laypersons in the church were going to present ShareHim evangelistic meetings, Jamie Francisco, the church school teacher, thought it would be good to hold a meeting for the children.
"When families bring their children, why just offer babysitting? Why not have a meeting for the children as well?," the teacher reasoned. "This way, on their way home the children and parents could be talking about the same topic!"
Francisco had planned to rewrite the adult series for children. But when she called Kathy Russell, Children’s Ministry director for the Carolina Conference, she learned that ShareHim already has a series for that very purpose! It’s called "Truth for Youth." The teacher recognized how easy the series is for children to use. Everything is written out for them—even directions on how to be a good presenter! In parentheses it will say "Smile," then "Look around and see all the hands that are raised." It walks them through everything they need to make the entire presentation!
With a classroom of seven students, she selected one student each from third, fifth and seventh grades to present the message. The rest were to greet and assist with crafts.
This past April the dual series of meetings commenced. "This has really been wonderful," Francisco explains. "The children are learning to speak up front. They feel like they’re preachers and are enjoying every minute of it."
Church members brought their children, the children then brought their friends, then those guests were bringing guests.
"The children don’t want to miss a meeting," Jamie explains. "So in most cases the parents don’t just drop off the kids, but stay and attend the adult meeting."
John Coelho, Elizabeth City pastor, shares, "On the second night one of the parents told me that she wasn’t going to come. But the kids said, ‘No Mom. we have to go. I don’t want to miss a meeting!"
As the Bible says, “A little child shall lead them.” It’s wonderful to see children involved in evangelism.
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