India (MNN) — Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Mission India runs a series of Children’s Bible Clubs throughout India, and typically, it takes $1 to send one child to the ten-day program. But thanks to friends of the ministry who pledged a matching grant, this month every dollar donated to the Children’s Bible Clubs will be doubled — up to $300,000. That means one dollar given essentially sends two kids to the program where they can be tutored and learn about Christ!
(Image courtesy of Mission India via Facebook)
To demonstrate the impact, Mission India’s Erik* shares a recent story about a child named Omar who was struggling in school.
“He grew up in a very poor area where his home didn’t have electricity or running water. His parents were illiterate, and life for Omar — both educationally and also at home — was really rough. Omar really did not want to be a part of school, because when he went to school, he was made fun of because his grades were not that great.”
Erik explains, “Mission India launched a Children’s Bible Club in Omar’s community and he joined it just kind of on a whim, [he] wanted to hang out and meet some new friends. By doing so, leaders helped him every day with his homework. So gradually, Omar learned to learn and became better in school and his parents were just so blown away by that. The leaders also painted a picture in Omar’s mind of what a future could be with an education.
(Photo courtesy of Mission India via Facebook)
“So Omar just got really excited, and then part way through his experience with the Children’s Bible Club, the leaders introduced him to Jesus. Omar’s heart at that time was beginning to open to who Jesus was. Over the course of a couple weeks and days, a transformation of Omar’s heart began to take place, and one day during the Bible program, he received Christ.”
It wasn’t just Omar’s life that was changed at the Children’s Bible Club.
“His parents were just so blown away by the results they saw in Omar that they enrolled his four other siblings in a Bible program. Today, his entire family has grown to know Christ and, for the first time ever, they’ll celebrate Christmas together and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.”
Erik says, “Ultimately, that’s why we do what we do at Mission India. We want people who’ve never heard about Jesus to know about Him and begin to accept Him and start walking for Him.”
(Photo courtesy of Mission India via Facebook)
Right now, there are still several kids just like Omar in India waiting to attend these Children’s Bible Clubs. It’s just a matter of the funds coming in. That first dollar is the only thing standing between them and hearing about their Heavenly Father who loves them.
Think about it. This month, for the price of a $5 latte, ten kids in India could hear about Jesus at Bible club. The cost of putting $30-worth of gas in your car could send 60 children to Mission India’s program where they can get schoolwork help and learn about God.
Click here to give to Mission India’s Children’s Bible Clubs and double your gift dollars’ impact!
“The more money we can raise and provide means more of those kids get to come off the waiting list and into a Children’s Bible Program, where they get to learn about Jesus, they get to be tutored by their leaders, and they get to form communities with other children and just really understand who Jesus is and why He died on the cross for them.”
In addition to giving, Moreshead encourages you to commit to praying for the Children’s Bible Clubs — the leaders, the kids, and their families — this next year.
“First and foremost, let’s just pray a prayer of thanks that, for the first time, many kids and many families will be celebrating Christmas as new believers in Jesus. It’s hard to talk about just because it’s moving to think about all those families for the first time realizing who Jesus is and what He’s done for them, and what Christmas really means.”
Erik asks, “The other thing is to just pray for continued support and courage for these leaders of the Children’s Bible Program. These programs are often met with not a lot of support within communities, but over time, as communities realize the positive impact these Bible clubs are having, the communities grow more accepting.”
*Name changed for security purposes.
