June 2008 Update

Dear Friends and Family,

Once a month we hold “Fourth Friday Family Fun Night” for children involved in Bible Club. These evenings are designed for the youth to invite any of their relatives so we might encourage families to spend time together and so we can get to know parents better.

Attendance at Bible Club had been low for a few weeks and only one mother told us she would be joining us with her three young daughters. So, to be honest, I was expecting a very relaxed evening without many people.

I based all the plans I made for the evening on this. I only bought a few pizzas. I planned to play two simple card games. I picked out a 30-minute cartoon to watch. And, in my mind, we were set.

The doorbell started ringing at 6:20, ten minutes early. As several excited children flowed through the front door I soon realized my expectations were to be well outdone. Immediately I shifted into go-mode with my first concern being that we would run out of food. As the crowd grew to include a number of older youth I also realized we needed more than card games and a Veggie Tales cartoon to entertain them.

It turned out to be a crazy night. Many of the kids who came had not been to any of our activities in weeks. They were out of practice in following our rules. They must have all eaten pounds of sugar before coming in, too, because they had tons of energy. Thankfully, we switched gears pretty easily and filled the time with gym games that allowed the kids to burn off some of that energy and enjoy their time with us.

It was truly an exhausting evening but I am really glad so many kids showed up that night. We decided just days earlier to make a major change in our programs and, in preparation for summer, to move our weekday activities for the month of May into our back yards. We also decided to change the age limits on our Bible Clubs so more of the older youth could be involved. That Friday night was the perfect opportunity to fill the kids in on our plans and invite them to join us!

That evening was simply another reminder that sometimes my vision is so narrow that I easily miss what God is doing while I watch for what I expect to happen. I am so thankful He knows best and continues to accomplish His Will in my life and this ministry, even if, at times, it means working in spite of my plans!

Serving in the City,
Beth