By Aaron E. Ziebarth, Executive Director
Children often amaze me. They are innocent, full of energy, brimming with creativity, and extremely, extremely persistent.
Last Tuesday at our celebration banquet we had several children join us. During the meal we invited all attendees to write down names of students that are back at school, not attending Released Time so that we could pray for them.
Angie* wrote down 25 different names of children she knew that needed to come to Released Time. She also added the name of a girl who used to attend with a note, “She hasn’t come lately. Her dad is in the hospital.”
Angie left the banquet with a handful of permission forms. On her way home, she stopped at two different houses to invite three children to come to join her the next day for Released Time. The next day one of her friends accepted her invitation and was excited to join her for Released Time.
Here is why it is so important for children to attend. At a different Released Time last week, a young girl, who just started attending Released time three weeks ago shared, “I didn’t know who Jesus was until she (points at a girl beside her) invited me to come to Released Time. They gave me a Bible since I didn’t have one and I took it home and showed it to my mom. Now my mom reads to me from the Bible every night before I go to bed. I’m glad I came to RT to learn about Jesus.”
If you were sitting there, wouldn’t that make you speechless?
Our staff member looked at the children and said, “Boys and girls, if Lillian wouldn’t have been invited to RT, she wouldn’t know who Jesus is! Are there more like her back at school?” They all responded, “YES!” “That’s who I want you to invite! “ she said.
I say amen to that! And that is why we want children to come to Released Time, so they can have a life-changing encounter with Jesus.
Will you please pray that more children attend Released Time? Will you also ask God to show you who you can specifically invite? Make a list and pray for them by name and call or visit or whatever is the best way to invite them!
I am excited to see how God will ignite a generation that seeks him!
*Name has been changed.
