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 Welcome to the Kidsreach email
Communique sent to you by David Goodwin and the team at Kidsreach
Thanks for all who have been praying for me in Sri Lanka. Had a wonderful week in the Bible College at Colombo and now spending a couple of days planning and preparing with the Kidsreach team in Kandy.
This week we feature a quote from Marva Dawn's powerful book written in 1997. She says that what is necessary is a wake-up call for the Church to realize that we are not in charge anymore. In the past children were formed with Christian values more easily because the society around us supported Christian beliefs, ethics, and rites, but this is not so anymore. See the quote below.
We pray you have a wonderful week.
Children's Ministry Story
John Rockefeller was a Christian. He was also a very clever businessperson and in 1870, he created what was to become the largest oil company in the world: Standard Oil. In those days, cars were only just being invented and most people used oil for heating and light. However, that changed and as oil became more and more valuable, John Rockefeller became more and more wealthy. In fact, he became the world's first billionaire and the world's richest man. He is often regarded as the richest person to have ever lived.
You would think that with all that money, he would be very happy, but he was not. Year after year as he became richer and richer, he became more and more unhappy. By the time he was 50 years old he was earning more than one million dollars a week, but still he was not happy.
He was a Christian. He loved God but his health was bad. He could not sleep at night and he could only eat dry toast and drink milk. People who knew him said that he was very unhappy.
One night when he was tossing and turning and could not get to sleep, he started thinking about something he used to do when he was a small boy. He loved going to the beach where he would dig in the sand and build beautiful sand castles. Then the tide would come in and before long, all the sand castles would be washed away. He sat up in bed as the thought came to him that those sand castles were just like his money. One day it would all be gone. When he died, he could not take it with him. So the next day he went to the bank and to his lawyers. He established the ‘Rockefeller Foundation'. He retired from his business and started to give money away. Over the next 40 years, he built two universities, schools, and hospitals. He gave to the poor, to the church and contributed to medical research. His money helped eliminate yellow fever and other major diseases we do not hear about today. There was so much more that Rockefeller did.
All his life he had been a Christian but when he started to care for others, guess what happened? His health improved, he could sleep at night, he could eat normal food and he lived until he was an old man – 98 years old.
(Story taken from the latest Discovery Club: REACH)
Discovery Club Curriculum #34: REACH
Helping Children Reach the World
Try to shine as lights among the people of the world, as you hold firm to the message that brings life. Phil 2:15b-16
 In this very exciting subject we encourage the children to be lights to the world, to REACH out to their friends, be involved in missions and ministry, using all the talents and abilities that God has given them.
There are also some very moving moments where God can touch children and bring healing to areas of their life that need to be touched before they can reach out to others and to be the light of the world.
Cost $35.00. Order by replying to this email, or via the website.
Sri Lanka Update
If you are interested in being part of the 2009 missions team travelling to Sri Lanka and Nepal, please register your interest by replying to this email. The trip will take place 15 -29 August Sri Lanka, 29 August to 6 September in Nepal .
School of Children's Counselling
If you have a heart to help hurting children or are a chaplain, kids pastor, parent or caregiver then you would benefit from attending the Kidsreach School of Children's Counselling. This year they are being held in Townsville (next week), NSW (April) as well as Adelaide, Perth, Indonesia and Hamilton. If you want further information, please reply to this email.
If you have attended the same course previously, you are allowed to attend the second time for free.
Quotable Quote
From Marva Dawn. Is It A Lost Cause? Having the heart of God for the Church's Children.
At every church I visit most members think the congregation is doing fine - but then I talk with the youth or children and discover how little they know about the faith, how negligibly it affects their daily lives. People agree that certainly we need more adults to help with the youth group - or Sunday school or whatever - but they themselves are too busy and don't want to sacrifice.”
About Kidsreach
Kidsreach Mission Statement is to: Resource, train and encourage those who minister to and counsel children.
Kidsreach has a large number of resources and training opportunities available to those who minister to children including one day and five day seminars scattered throughout New Zealand during the year. Through partnerships with Tabor College (Syndey) and Laidlaw College (Auckland) we offer accredited courses in Children's Ministry.
There are offices in NZ, Australia, and Sri Lanka. We have a working relationship with similar organisations in Ethiopia, PNG and Indonesia. For more information, visit the websites: Aus: www.kidsreach.org.au NZ: www.kidsreach.org.nz
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