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Children Serving the Lord

By Jeannie Lockerbie Stephenson 4/9/03

It is sometimes tempting to think of missions as "for adults," but in 1 Timothy 4:12, Paul writes, "Let no man despise thy youth; be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." Children can make an impact for missions in their homes, at school, among friends, and in the community, through their testimony and through the projects they undertake. John Piper has famously written that humans were created to worship God, and that missions exists because the whole world does not yet worship God. If every Christian is called to worship God and be missions-minded, so is every Christian child.

John Mark is the oldest son of John and Aimee Stiles, ABWE missionaries to Peru. They are currently on furlough in the U.S. and hope to return to Peru in August. The Stiles recently passed on this story of how God is challenging their son:

"Recently, we visited a church in West Virginia. John Mark begged to sleep over at a friend's home while we were gone. We had both met the family, and allowed him to go. At dinner, his friend David asked John Mark why he had prayed to thank the Lord for the meal. John Mark responded, 'Because I am a Christian.'

David's curiosity was excited, and throughout the night, he peppered John Mark with questions. John Mark did his best to show David that he needed to be saved, finally leading him in a very simple prayer for confession and salvation.

When we came home, John Mark asked us, 'Why is it that when you tell people about how to be saved in Peru the people just pray and receive the Lord and then leave? My friend David wanted to ask me questions all night long. I finally told him at 1:00 A.M. that I was tired.'

We rejoice that our children are serving the Lord in their schools and beside us as we present our ministry in churches. Praise the Lord it does not take a Bible college education for kids to share what God has done in their lives. Oh, to have that simple, child-like faith."

If you want to learn how to encourage children to serve the Lord, you may be interested in Mobilizing Children to Serve the Lord, a seminar for pastors, teachers, parents, homeschoolers, and children's club leaders-any adult ministering to children. The next conference includes plenary sessions and interactive workshops and will take place in Seattle, Washington, on May 17:

Place: Bethany Bible Church 6241 N. E. Bothell Way, Kenmore, WA 98028
Date: Saturday, May 17, 2003
Time: 8:00 am (registration) - 3:00 pm
Cost: $20. Includes materials, coffee break, and light lunch. Please register by May 1. Phone: 425-487-2518
Email: bethanybible@juno.com