By Aaron E. Ziebarth, Executive Director
There is usually a lot of excitement and energy at Released Time. Last week I sensed excitement right away, and it was from the volunteers—before the children even started to arrive.
Shortly after I arrived, a volunteer excitedly told me, “We have seen five children begin a relationship with Jesus this year.”
And then there was more. “Cheryl was so excited that she went back to school and immediately told her friend what she did. Her friend had no idea what she was talking about and asked her to explain. And she did just that, in front of her small group at school. She told her how she had prayed to ask Jesus to forgive her sins and how she wanted to live her life for him.”
If you were the listener, I am sure you would be excited too. After all, God used you to help a student understand and respond to the Gospel, and then she immediately shared it with another student.
In her excitement, she asked me, “Do you know how I know she did this?”
Of course I didn’t. So I asked her to tell me. “The school aid overheard it and was so excited that she wanted to share it with us. So she texted me right away.”
Shortly after this, the excitement level rose even higher when the students came off the bus and into the church. Songs were sung, the lesson was taught, and verses were recited. And who knows how God will use that to reach even more children?
We praise God for how He is using Released Time to bring hope to children.
Children in the Joy El Generation Released Time Bible Program earn points as they memorize Scripture, explain the verses, and look them up in their Bibles. When a child earns 300 points, s/he is able to attend a week of summer camp or a weekend retreat at Joy El. Joy El Camps and Retreats is one of Pennsylvania’s premier Christian camp and retreat centers.
