Seattle

Seattle-Bellevue
conducts Operation 1 + 1

SEATTLE, Washington—For seven weeks the Seattle-Bellevue children’s church partnered with Kidzana Ministries in Operation 1+1: one child helping another child to come to know Jesus by providing the truth, a teacher and a time and place to meet.

Kidzana Ministries sends children’s ministry leaders from the United States and Canada to host countries to train and equip pastors and Christian leaders in how to evangelize children. They also provide Bibles, teaching tools and ideas to help the Christian community in reaching their lost children for Jesus. Our focus was on the trip to Russia in late August.

Our prayer at the beginning of the project was that God would provide a way for our children’s church to reproduce itself by collecting 22 boxes, one box for each child 1 to 18 who attends church. We also prayed that we would raise at least $440, which was the projected cost of bringing 22 children to Christ and providing children's church for a full year.

Each child had a box that they worked to fill with coins and bills. They came up with ways to raise the funds by selling lemonade, muffins, cookies, popcorn or their french fries from their school lunch. Others did yard work, washed cars, kept birdbaths filled or gave part of their allowances or candy money.

The congregation participated with the children by helping to fill boxes for those children under the age of 3. Some members took boxes home and worked at filling them during the seven-week project. The project also included praying daily for children in countries around the world, making cards to be sent to the pastors and teachers who come to the workshops and sharing the gospel message with a friend.

During services on June 7, the children came forward and brought their boxes. Sarah-Ann Woodfield, children’s church coordinator, then interviewed the children about how they raised or collected money for their boxes. Dylan Hatch, a fifth- grader, led the children in prayer over the offering.

After the service, the children helped in emptying the boxes and sorting the bills and coins. They first counted the number of boxes and excitedly found it to be exactly 22. The total collected was $686.38, enough to reach 34 children with the message of Christ. What was so exciting was that Pastor Bill Miller had earlier handed out a list of all the children associated with our congregation. Thirty-three names were on that list. God did reproduce the children of our congregation.

God blessed our little group of children with the knowledge that their individual contribution will not only affect one child in Russia but also that child’s family and community. Many parents commented on what a profound effect the project had on their child and family. Sarah-Ann Woodfield.

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