Young Evangelists

We were able to have a special week on the Church Bus once again. Picture a white bus with handprints painted on, the prints of specific children who all requested a particular color so that they would always recognize their own handprint.The inside is renovated into a mobile ministry center, complete with benches filled with toys, two tables in the back for craft time, chalkboards where the memory verse is written and more. The Bus enters a different neighborhood four afternoons each week. We’ve been visiting these areas for over 15 years; so now we are teaching children of those who once attended themselves. Each week, approx. 200 children and teens visit their Church Bus. The horn honks as we travel through, the children running from across the area to board. We then park at the same locations we have always parked, stop the Bus, and then hold Church Bus. There is an object lesson, a Bible lesson, three songs and a memory verse, all tied to one theme. After this comes the “controlled chaos” time, when the kids opt to play games, do the craft, recite memory verses for prizes, etc.

This special week has occurred twice before, and happened again in March. The lesson is taught about prayer. Instead of the controlled chaos time, the two neighborhoods that have so many children and so many streets (that walking in our limited amount of time would be impossible), we cluster with an adult leading a handful of kids within the bus, and “prayer drive” their neighborhood. On the other two days, we “prayer walk.” Wednesday was especially special. One boy who regularly attends walks to the Bus as his mom is at work and he doesn’t live in this neighborhood but wants to come. His mom found us about half-way through the walk and picked him up. Just minutes later, she found us again and rolled down her window. He wanted to finish the walk. We invited her to join us at the Bus for the final prayers…and she did.

One little girl who was approx. 10 years old eagerly told us we needed to stop in front of her house to pray. I didn’t know where she lived, but when she stopped…I knew. This was a home where gang members live and drugs are for sale. She fervently and loudly prayed in front of her home. When the adults came to the porch to find out what this group of kids was doing, I told them we were just praying, and asked if they had any prayer requests. One young man asked if we’d pray for his family.

As the walk concluded, a pastor we met at the Pastor Appreciation Banquet this past October and his wife, (who joined us for the first time at the February Women’s conference), rushed out of their home with camera in hand. He was shouting, “Young evangelists! Young evangelists!” We asked if they’d like to join us in praying inside the Bus, and they did. First, some of the kids prayed, and then these two prayed. Then, the boy’s mother who had just gotten off work prayed. Through tears (bringing many of us to join our own tears), she thanked God for the Church Bus. She told the Lord that she had no idea what her son had been participating in and was so thankful. God is moving! Please keep praying.

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