Watoto Wanaweza! (Children Can!)

Leaders at King of Kings in Woodbury recently received a funding request from their companions in Kilolo parish to help finish the construction of a church building in Amani preaching point. While they already had the majority of funds on hand, they needed an extra assist to reach their goal. And who did they turn to for assistance? Their children of course!

Last week 270 kids, ages 3-11, participated in vacation bible school at King of Kings. During offering time they gave the little that they had. Penny by penny and day by day they were able to raise $586.27 - just the right amount to help the church as a whole reach their goal!

According to Lisa Engh, director of missions at King of Kings, they talked with VBS participants every day about their friends in a place called Kilolo. They shared that kids there are just like kids in Woodbury and they enjoy going to Sunday School, they have fun singing songs, and they love Jesus. More than that, she says they told the group "(their friends) in Kilolo love Jesus so much that they took that message to a nearby community to share God's story and build a new church building so that kids there could go to Sunday school, sing songs, and learn about Jesus' love for them too."

Connecting kids with the congregation's global companions is part of the culture of mission at King of Kings. Recently, second grade students have helped to buy children's bibles for their friends in Honduras and an upcoming girls' camp will raise support and awareness for St. Margaret's Academy in northern Tanzania. In these and many other ways, children are opportunities to meaningfully contribute to the work of the church at large.

The focus on kids doesn't stop with fundraising either. When the congregation sends delegations to visit their global companions, part of their work is collecting stories and pictures to share with folks back at home - especially the children. Doing so allows them to see in concrete and specific ways that they too can make an impact on the world. This October when a team from King of Kings returns to Kilolo, you can be sure that they'll make a visit to Amani preaching point and that the kids will hear all about it.

Bwana Yesu Asifiwe!

-peter

The Rev. Peter Harrits

Director of Bega Kwa Bega and Assistant to the Bishop