The Interns of Springs of Grace Bible: Update from Julie

Monday, June 9, 2008

Update from Julie

Last Thursday at getAHEAD I had the opportunity to talk to three little girls in a group about the Lord. One little girl who was nine years old asked me some good questions about God. She started out by asking me if who decides where we go after we die. We talked about how each person has a choice to follow God with their whole life or turn away and reject Him. Through that I was able to share with the three girls the story of Jesus...who came to die for us on the cross.

All three girls had heard the story before, but they continued to have some significant questions. Most of the questions were about sin and death and why God would allow people to die. We were able to talk for about twenty minutes and the conversation ended with two of the girls asking me if they could have a bible of their own. It was hard to hear some of the things these girls were going through in their own homes and the racism that they encounter. In fact, racism existed within that small group. One of the girls believed that only white people were able to go to heaven. I hope to continue to talk to these little girls and on Tuesday and I have two small bibles to hand out. Please pray for them and that the Lord would move in their hearts!

In Him,

Julie

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getAHEAD

getAHEAD is our biggest summer ministry. Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday we pick up kids from the projects and bring them to the church for tutoring. Our tutoring program divides the children into different classes by age, and provides them with journaling assignments, lessons taught by their in-class teacher, skills time, and individual time. We get to know the kids; their strengths and weaknesses and work with them where they are at. This gives us a great opportunity to develop mentor/student relationships that help them academically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Block Parties

Block parties are a fun way for us to get to know our neighbors and to further minister to the people that we already work with. We set up game booths and food tables in the lawn of the church and invite all of the children that attend our various programs to come along with their families. The church body joins us, along with anyone living in the neighborhood near the church who we've invited through block ministry. Last year, we spent the evening eating and playing games, with a brief gospel presentation from our pastor. This year, however, we are having one block party a month with a mini-series on Ecclesiastes accompanying the party. We are excited for the potential this holds for talking about the search for meaning with our neighbors.

RAD

RAD (Rise And Dream) is a weekly program at Comanche Government Housing Projects where we interns put on skits and do activities with the kids centered around different community service careers. There is an internalized racism that causes these kids to believe that they cannot rise above the careers and lifestyles of their parents and grandparents. We hope to encourage them to see other possibilities for their lives by explaining what is involved in each job along with the education and training required for that career. We also weave a Bible story or skit into each lesson, knowing that the only true hope for these children is an understanding of what God has done for each of them and a transformed life because of that understanding.

Sports Clinics

Weekly sports clinics are held at Comanche Government Housing Projects with the aim of teaching kids sports skills to give them confidence in various sports. Those who play a high school sport are far more likely to graduate high school, but many kids don't try out for teams because they are afraid of failing. Our aim is to help them learn basic skills associated with many different sports so that they might join a sports team. This goal is secondary, though, to our primary goal of building relationships with the kids so that they might see Who God is through us and so that we might have the opportunity to share the gospel with them. Every sports clinic ends with the kids gathered around a cooler of Gatorade, getting hydrated and hearing stories about our Savior.

Project 61

Project 61 is a week-long camp run in early July. Youth campers from four states come to Tulsa where they spend their mornings helping with a sports clinic at the Comanche Government Housing Projects and their afternoons playing games and hearing awesome teaching. We bus children from all over north Tulsa to Comanche so they also can benefit from the coaching and the Bible lessons of our morning sports clinics. Coaches from area high schools and colleges come to help kids learn basketball, volleyball, baseball, football, and soccer skills, with youth campers and interns helping the kids improve their sports skills, memorize Scripture, and learn about the character and work of God.

VBS (Vacation Bible School)

Vacation Bible School reaches kids from all ages and backgrounds. Many of us remember the significant spiritual truths we learned through various VBS programs we attended as children. For some, those truths were revisited later in life and led to a saving faith. VBS is about planting seeds and trusting God to water them. At Springs of Grace Bible Church, we try and host as many VBS programs as we can each summer. Our interns head it up and the youth often volunteer as well. Our church family is faithful to support this by providing snacks and supplies (and their children!) We pick kids up from neighboring houses, and all the way into inner-city Tulsa. The week is filled with games and crafts and Bible stories. It is a joy for us to host these events. God is faithful to bring children each summer, and we are blessed to be used by Him in their lives.