Children's Festival

By Christine Self

Children's Day is one of Argentina's biggest holidays and is celebrated each year in August. For the past 11 years, the Missionary Baptist Church of Don Torcuato, a suburb of Buenos Aires, has set aside the second Saturday of August for a Children's Festival.

During the weeks before the event, church members sign up to bring candy, balloons, cakes, cookies, and small toys. The week prior to the festival, each member constructs his stand, and the evangelism team distributes balloons and invitations throughout the community. On the day of the festival, a large group of visitors eagerly wait in line outside the church gate, while the evangelism team registers every family. All visitors are given a packet which includes a gospel tract, information regarding the Missionary Baptist Church, and a wordless book or bracelet.

At 2 p.m. sharp, the large wooden doors of the church open and a full afternoon of activities begins. The children have so many activities to see and do, and the parents can't believe there is no charge! Every child can earn free "children's pesos" just by participating in games. They can "go fish," toss coins, bowl, shoot hockey pucks, dunk baskets, throw darts, score soccer goals, putt a golf ball, shoot a water pistol, and attend the puppet show where a gospel message is presented every hour.

In the middle of the afternoon, the children's choir presents a mini-musical in the main auditorium, and one of our pastors preaches a clear gospel message. People in the community stay until the "store" is sold out and the "bank" folds (around 6 p.m.).

Everyone leaves with wonderful memories of a day at Missionary Baptist church where they have heard the gospel, many for the first time. This year over 500 people from the community attended. It is our prayer that the gospel preached at the Children's Festival will produce eternal fruit for the glory of God as we follow-up on new friends each year.