The Miracles We Make: Children’s Ministry Submitted by Laura Paschall Brown

I am passionate about the children’s ministry in our church. I see each child as a miracle made by God and the future of our church.

God has allowed me to be here at this time and given me the ability to teach children about Him. Recently, I volunteered for the writing of the summer curriculum. God chose the subject: Jesus is the Light of the World. With help, a study of New Testament scripture was decided upon with the Gospel of John being the main focus. The dedication of some remarkable women; Gwen Patteson, Ann-Marie Hemminger, Melody Bradley, Jane DeCarlis, Kelly Bevis, and Cindy Fergus, made each Sunday special and memorable. The help of John Fergus and Phillip Brown with his guitar rounded out the contingent of adults. We sand that old standard of ‘This Little Light of Mine’ with the help of bushel baskets and a kerosene lantern. One Sunday, we heard a child singing that song while walking down the hall with his parents.

Our children are intelligent, thoughtful and loving. They want to serve others. For example, we decided to collect money to purchase a bookcase for Kids Hope. A bookcase costs $25.00. With quarters in hand, giving hearts and a competitive spirit, $36.00 was raised and given to Linda Allen. It is amazing what an idea given to creative souls can accomplish.

Teaching third grade Sunday school is rewarding and a blessing to me. I watch our children learn how to use their very own grown-up Bibles and begin to know this library of books will become their new BFF. I encourage them to be ‘Bible Totin’ Methodists’ and read more of the story than what we can cover in 50 minutes.

One of the things we learn is the order of the books of the Bible by memory. Rev. Mary challenged the children to do just during a children’s sermon. Little did she know, Lindsey Bevis and Sarah Hammer would do just that! Rev. Mary listened and the children gave suggestions to her as to what the reward should be. One puppy for the Old and a second puppy for the New were greeted with giggles!

I want to thank the congregation for supporting the endeavors I come up with. Through the years, sixteen to be exact, I have asked for some unusual things such as 80-something yard sticks, electric frying pans, a multitude of used milk cartons, jars, old fence pickets, money for class trips to Glen Lake, an outdoor prayer labyrinth and stacks of magazines. All have been abundantly supplied.

Not long ago, maybe a couple of years, I was fortunate enough to spend some time with the Paschall children, Amy and Sam. We were discussing church staff and memorizing scripture in 3^rd grade. As if cued, they recited Deuteronomy 6:4-5, then immediately Psalm 23. They make me proud!