Holiday Club - day 3

There are close on 160 children now who have been registered for the Holiday Club. The place is simply swarming with children these mornings! It's a wonderful sight, and a wonderful privilege we have in sharing the gospel with them.

The morning starts with them all crowded into the church.

There's a comedy sketch to begin with. Our local hero, Orran McSporran, comes on to compete in a games contest against two other competitors from the team. Today the guy is thoroughly pentitent. He'd been cheating the first two days, which the children all spotted - and so they've been jeering him since. Today the girls who were leading out front changed the script, got Orran McSporran to say he was genuinely sorry, and managed to get all the jeers turned to cheers!

We sing the theme song, Undefeated Champion - a fast-moving, knee-slapping, arm-waving event which all of them certainly love.

After that it's time for the puppets. The puppet show tells the story straight from the Bible. Today it's the story of the feeding of the 5,000 and Peter walking on the water. The children watch and listen with rapt attention. Sometimes you could hear a pin drop it's so quiet.

And remember that's a hundred and fifty high-as-a-kite children!

They split into groups after that - "remember to follow your leader!" - and head off for their games, and crafts and 'group times', when they also get their snack. We've a hard-working 'kitchen staff' and folk who've fed in their home-baking. The miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 doesn't seem a million miles away from where we are!

At the end of the morning they all come back to the church.

More singing.

A talk on the story of the day. Today it's my turn. Nothing is impossible for God. Feeding 5,000 with a few small scraps of food? Walking on the water? I tell them of how God met our needs in a previous church in a quite remarkable way. It seemed completely impossible: but he did it. To this day I don't know how! We want them to know how great this Jesus is, and learn to trust him too.

There's a memory verse to follow. We want to get the truths of the Scriptures stored in their sponge-like minds.

The children then pray. Groups of the children come out and say a short prayer. Some of the prayers are quite moving. With child-like simplicity they hit the mark.

Another song. This time quieter. I have a Maker.

There's a game with some of the children out front competing against one another. Today it's who can blow the most bubbles.

Some more singing and then we're done for the morning. Power and might ends the morning on something of a high again. He is the King of kings! He is the King of kings! He is the King of kings!

Louder and louder! A great noise - and a great sight, to see these children praising the Lord like that with all that they are and have.

And that's just the morning!

There's a games night tonight as well. Hundreds are out at that. Twenty different games and twenty different groups of folk moving round the hall. The place is packed. It's a wonderful opportunity to get alongside a range of different people - children and parents alike, all having so much fun.

I've preparation to do, and visits to make as well. People and families to see as ever. And a meeting late on as we work to move things on along the many different 'fronts' on which the work of the Lord progresses in these days.

Sometimes I wonder how it will all get done. But I've to remember as much as the children themselves - "nothing is impossible with God!"