Emphasis Preaching Journal

Jane was running late one afternoon for an appointment and as she drove into the church parking lot, she was surprised to see children playing. She wondered where the children lived. With less and less children attending Sunday school she had been told that there were not many children living near the church.

At the next church meeting, Jane told about finding children playing in the parking lot. No one knew anything about them. Bert suggested inviting them to Sunday school. Betty replied that they had invited neighborhood children to Sunday school before and they never came.

Jane suggested starting a parking lot ministry for children one Saturday morning a month. Reluctantly, she was given the go ahead to start a children's program. There would be organized games, Bible stories, crafts, and snacks modeled from vacation Bible school. The first Saturday only four children showed up. The children had a great time and enthusiastically told their friends and parents. The next month there were more children, the following month even more children. Before too long the program was expanded to twice a month.

A year later there were more children attending Jane's Saturday morning program than attended Sunday school. It started with a simple idea and soon blossomed into a fruitful ministry.