Story number 3 for 3 Sep 2002

(USA)–A ministry that’s reaching out to young people around the world is also preparing young people to share their faith. AWANA Clubs International’s Tom Rios says they’ve developed a program called, Impact LA, giving teens a taste of missionary service. “We give them responsibility for the program, so from beginning to end they run it from raising their support to be able to be on the team. It’s a pretty broad exposure to the kinds of things that someone would got through in becoming a missionary and testing the waters of missions work.” While many children came to Christ in parks and churches, Rios says two mothers also committed their lives to Christ. “These two ladies were listening. They were enjoying the songs and then with the children got into small groups, they were invited to sit with a small group and they heard the Gospel presentation. And, when they were asked if they wanted to receive Christ, and they looked back at this teenager and said, ‘yes, we want to receive Christ.'”