Grace Kids Bible School: Why Do We Do What We Do?

A new school year is quickly approaching, made evident by the stands of school supplies in stores and inboxes full of teacher emails. Here at Grace Kids Bible School, we also have our own preparations underway. Lots of work goes on behind the scenes before students even step foot into church on the first day, and our church is blessed with an incredible team of volunteers dedicating their gifts and resources to this ministry’s advancement.

Amidst all the excitement and preparation, I have come to really appreciate the constant reminders from our children’s ministry pastor to stop and ask ourselves,“Why do we do what we do?” And so I extend the same question to you.

To the kids — why do you come to Kids Bible School every Thursday night? Is it because you will get to see all your friends? Or did your teacher promise to give out your favorite snacks? Or are you excited to show them your coloring page or say your memory verse from last week’s lesson? Or do you look forward to learning something new about who God is?

To the parents — why do you bring your children week after week? Is it out of duty because that is what good parents do? Or because you can finally get a night off in an otherwise busy week? Or do you look forward to them telling you in the car what they learned about Jesus? Or is it the daily family devotionals during the week that bring your family closer together and closer to God?

To the volunteers — why do you come to church and serve? Is it because you love kids, their silly antics, and their fun-loving nature? Or because you are gifted in putting together the most interesting and engaging lesson plans? Or that you have such a big heart to deal with the “difficult” kids? Or that you can think of no better use of your gifts and time than to bring the Gospel to these little ones?

Nearly all of these are questions I have had to ask myself in analyzing my heart over the years, and, with time, I came to my conclusion. Years ago, I read an excerpt from a Charles Spurgeon sermon on this very subject, and it has stuck with me ever since. Here is what he said:

“The true minister is he who can preach Christ… If Christ crucified is the great delight of his soul, the very marrow of his teaching, the fatness of his ministry, he has proved his calling as an ambassador of Christ…
Oh, to speak of Christ alone! — to be tied and bound to this one theme forever; to speak only of Jesus and of the amazing Love of the glorious Son of God, who, ‘though He was rich, yet for our sakes became poor.’ This is the Subject which is both ‘seed for the sower and bread for the eater.’ This is the live Coal for the lips of the preacher, and the master Key to the heart of the hearer! This is the Tune for the minstrels of earth, and the Song for the harpers of Heaven! Lord, teach it to us more and more, and we will tell it out to others!”

Children’s ministry exists to preach Christ, that God would be glorified and the lives of everyone involved - student, parent, and teacher - would be transformed. For the kids, this ministry exists for you to come to know who Jesus is, what He has done for you, and why He is far more precious than anything else in this world. For the parents, this ministry exists as a tool in your parenting arsenal, to support and encourage you in your daily efforts to raise up the next generation to know and love God. For the volunteers, this ministry exists for you to experience the sweetness of knowing who God is personally, learning to trust Him even when you cannot see the fruits of your labors, and recognizing that the best takeaway that a child may have at the end of the lesson is that they saw Jesus more brightly and clearly than ever before.

In other words, we exist to show them Jesus, and I can think of no greater honor or better calling than that.

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Student registration for Grace Kids Bible School for the 2026-2027 school year is now open! Children in PreK to 6th grades are welcome to register at the following link: https://subsplash.com/u/-NWFW8T/forms/d/b5bc4919-54d0-42f5-b5df-e8f11c57d128 

Mark your calendars! The first day of Kids Bible School is Thursday, August 27th at 6:30 PM.

If you are interested in joining the Grace Kids Bible School team, we invite you to fill out the volunteer application at the following link:
https://subsplash.com/u/-NWFW8T/forms/d/fedad565-16fc-420f-bfa0-5024a0912315 

Continue supporting the churches working among the people who have suffered from the war in Ukraine.

Help Welcome Missionary Family!
Mani and his family are moving to Sacramento from Florida to do great commission work with the Afghan diaspora! They will need to vacate their house before September 19th and will be arriving on September 28th, they need help with transportation of their family belongings.
Since this is a long-distance cross-country trip, we are looking for truck drivers/truck owners who could help with relocation.
They also need the place to stay for 2 weeks while they will be looking for permanent housing.
If you can help, please contact Yugene Bardosh at (916)548-3629 or Alex Chernysh at (347)374-4433. Let’s show them a warm Sacramento welcome in Jesus name!

Mark your calendars for this exciting event!

May 14–16, 2027 — our church camp will take place at Leoni Meadows Camp.
We are eagerly looking forward to this special time together!

"And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."
For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it."
Mark 8:34-35