What is this Children's club I mention in my newsletters and in a few places on this home page? That's what I hope to explain here.
When I was 15 I went to a youth rally in Palm Springs Calif. During one of the praise times I was thinking about my future for some reason. It was then that God spoke to my heart and spirit about my future. He said that I would be a nomad for him, always moving around and never owning my own home and that I would work with youth.
Since that time I have moved around a lot. I have never owned my own home even though I tried to buy a place once. And I've always seemed to be friends with a lot of people younger than I. But the working with youth didn't really take off until I came to Japan. Up until that time I can't say I had ever spent much time with or being around children. After a short while here in Japan I met quite a few children in my English classes and out in the community. I found that I like them and they like me. And so a ministry was born that God had placed in my heart many years before.
I noticed that the church had thousands of tracts for children in the church storeroom not being used. It was then that I set myself a goal to hand out tracts to the children at each elementary school at dismissal time. At that time there were 17 elementary schools in the city.
It took me two years to reach my goal. During that time I met well over 3,000 students -- many of them several times. They didn't just take the tracks. Many would hang around for awhile to talk. Sometimes I would show up at a school just to play tag, frisbee, soccer or whatever.
Some of the children mailed in response cards on the tracts. They had written things like, "I think Jesus is kind. I like Christ.", "I believe in Jesus. I think he is trustworthy." I then realized I had to do more for the children because unlike a lot of Japanese adults the children's hearts were receptive to the gospel. Planting the Word of God and his love in children's lives will bear fruit in time. Either they will believe as a child or be ready to receive later in life because the seed was planted keeping their hearts from growing so hard and cold. Many Japanese who turn to Christ as an adult had some Christian influence in their life when they were young.
I knew that most of the children would not be able to come to church so I had to take the gospel to them. I knew that follow-up was necessary to keep their interest and faith in Christ alive and growing. So the idea of a kids' mail club was born. It is called The Star Children's Club. The name is based on Philippians 2:15, "... become ... children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe ..."
To the children who join the club I send the monthly Christian publication called "Lammy". They receive a birthday present and card during the month of their birthday and their name shows up in "Lammy". They also receive notification of special meetings for children that are either at the church or in their area.
In the first year the club grew to 200 members and changed from Tim's ministry to being a church ministry. Currently there are over 700 children in the club from pre-school age through high school. And there is now a club for adults with thirteen members.
Many children are not allowed to come to any of our special meetings. As one fifth grader told me, her mother forbids her to come to the church, but said it was alright to receive the free Kid's club material. One girl shared that after she reads her "Lammy" her father likes to read it, too. Another said her sister was memorizing the prayers. Another told me she repeats every day the birthday card prayer we sent her.
Many churches have children come to Christmas meetings and such and come to Sunday School for a while. But many children only have that one Christmas meeting experience or that short time in SS. The church then has no contact with them for years. With this club program I can keep teaching them even though they don't come to church. I don't want to lose them if I can help it."Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these," (Matt. 19:14).
