By Pastor Naomi Mitchell
For the Carter County Times
“No sir, but she was always at our house. When Bob here was sick, she nursed him so tenderly, and her hymns would calm him when nothing else worked. She did that for everyone in the neighborhood. What she’s been to us, only God Himself knows. And now she’s gone.”
Dr. Gordon entered the small room where Annie lay at rest. Beside the coffin, an elderly woman wept.
“I never thought she’d go before me. She came every evening to read and sing to me. Her prayers, oh, those prayers, they brought to me Jesus. You could almost feel Heaven just listening to her.”
A man gently placed his arms around her shoulders.
“Mother, come home now. We will see her again.”
“I know, I know. She told me she’d wait for me at the gate.”
The room fell quiet as Dr. Gordon prepared to lead the service. Flowers surrounded Annie’s small body. A young girl stood nearby, lost in grief, having placed a single dandelion in Annie’s hands.
When the service had ended, people lingered, one after another stepping forward for a final look. It seemed no one could bear to let her go.
The next day a man knocked at Dr. Gordon’s door.
“I’m Annie’s uncle. She wouldn’t rest until I promised to join the church. I’m here to keep that promise.”
Matthew 19:14. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”
I want to encourage everyone who is involved in the children’s ministry at your church. Please don’t take it lightly thinking it’s not important enough. God has called you into an important part of a child’s life through the church, the body of Christ. They are your little flock, and you have been commissioned to lead them through the love of Jesus. You are important in your church under the leadership of your pastor.
There are four things Jesus taught about children’s ministries. One day, Jesus’s disciples came to him with a question, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Matthew 18:1) The parallel passage in Luke 9:46-48 reveals that the disciples had been debating among themselves as to which of them would be the greatest. It’s as if each of Jesus’s followers is asking, “Will it be me?”
Jesus responded to their self-indulgent questions in the Bible by telling them to prioritize children. He answered his disciples by telling them to: 1) become like children, 2) welcome children, 3) protect them, and 4) value them as a kingdom priority.
Jesus sees children differently. Little ones are valuable to Him. Each child should be respected as one of God’s precious little ones. They should not be seen as a bother or a nuisance to be taken into some shabby room for someone to babysit while “big” church goes on.
In one sense they are just a miniature church that needs a shepherd to love them and lead them to Jesus. You are to teach children with the whole Bible. Encourage them to develop a Biblical mindset and Christian worldview. Encourage children to give their hearts to Jesus by leading them to recognize their sinful nature and to respond in repentance and faith in God. Encourage them to trust in the promises of God. Fix up the classroom in fun colors, books, posters, etc. Teach them in a fun way a child can understand. Invest some creative time in making the class exciting. Pray! Plan! Play! They will be excited to come.
Annie Graham is a true story, and I hope and pray it will inspire all children’s ministry teams and every Sunday school teacher! You have a high calling, and you do make a difference! Make it count. Pray for the children in your classes. You are not a church babysitter. You are their shepherd, and they are your little sheep. How many little ‘Annie Grahams’ might there be in our churches that would go out do the work of Jesus in their own circle of friends and even adults all because you invested in their lives? Nothing is more precious than the faith of a child! Amen! So be it!
JOYFUL House of Prayer, 2519 Quicksand Road, (P.O. Box 856), Jackson, Kentucky 41339. Send Comments/Prayer Requests to: Pastornaomi4god@gmail.com. FB: JoyfulHoprayer. Services: 10am Sunday and Joyful Kids class at 10:30am. 6:30pm Thursdays. Radio Broadcast: WJSN 97.3 FM & WEKG 81.0 AM Sundays 1-2pm
