Ghana (MNN) — Oasis International Ministries is making its mark with the children of Ghana by providing classes for local children. The lessons began a year and a half ago with only six students and now have expanded to over 200.
The lessons teach values from the Bible that the students will be able to use on a daily basis. "Many of the students haven't heard even the simple Bible stories," says Ambrose Brennan of Oasis International. In order to explain these new stories to the children, teachers use flannel graphs, dramas and puppets, among other things.
"What we have found unfortunately here, even in the churches, is that a lot of times the children are often overlooked and neglected," says Brennan. This belief that children are not worth much has given Oasis more obstacles to overcome.
Training teachers about the way God views children is necessary. Many teachers tend to raise their voices or mistreat the students, simply due to a lack of education about God's view of children. Oasis has been working with teachers to help gain the respect of their students and to become godly role models.
"We're trying to really stress to [the teachers] that children still have importance in the kingdom of God and that it is really important how they interact with the children so that they make them feel important," explains Brennan.
The hope of teaching children about God's loves and biblical values will bear future dividends. "If we can impart some of these values such as honesty, truthfulness, patience, respect for others," says Brennan, "then that's going to carry on into the churches, into the kingdom of God, and make for better citizens here in Ghana."
