Bible Clubs

The ministry planted its foundation by focusing on the life of a child.  Based on the vision of the founder of this ministry, Dr Gardiner Gentry, He saw that many children were lost, and he started a ministry with the aim of reaching children with the gospel of our lord Jesus, regardless of their religions and cultures.

And that is why this ministry reaches every child who is living in the villages and in town, far and near, so that they can be saved. (Luke 19:10) ‘‘For the Son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost’’

When you do anything, you feel that you have a purpose for that thing, like a farmer who grows crops with the intention of getting a profit after harvesting all his crops, and at the end he feels joy because he has managed his purpose.

It is the same with our ministry of Bible clubs, which have its goals. The goals are as follow:

1. Children should be reached with the gospel and be saved.

This is the very first and important thing that the children must accept Jesus as the person and savior of their lives. God is very happy when children come to him, children are very important in the presence of God because they are the church of tomorrow. And children are also happy when they accept Jesus, their lives and attitudes change. Parents witness the changes in their children.

2. Children should serve God.

When the child is saved, they have the opportunity to serve God in various ways. They can serve God by telling their friends about Jesus, doing some church work such as sweeping, mopping, mowing the grass, etc.

The children have a longer time to serve God than an adult, as long as the children have been saved.

3. To establish clubs in places where our Good Samaritan churches do not exist.

When we establish clubs in these places, children are very interested because here in Malawi there are few places where children can meet in one place and learn the word of God. Some places are focusing on earthly things.

4. Establish churches through the ministry of the Bible clubs.

Since the beginning of our ministry, we have seen God doing amazing things to save children and establish churches.

Testimony: In the central region of Malawi a church was started and we visited the place and witnessed what God has done. The coming of the children to the club made the parents interested in following their children and hearing what the children are being taught, and they have seen that what they are learning is the word of God. The parents are saying; please can we have the class for the adults too so that we can learn more about the true and living God. And this is how the church started. They used to meet under the tree but still God is respected and He will do His best to build a church for them. We are looking forward to establishing a new church in the southern region of Malawi.

These are the main goals that the ministry relies on.

Orders

Good Samaritan Bible clubs ministries have their own orders that we follow, not wanting confusion and the like, since our God is not a mess and wants us to do things in a good order.

First of all, before we set up a club, we do have special training for teachers who have given themselves and heard their call to the children’s ministry. So we train them how they are able to reach a child with the gospel, sometimes we call partners to help us with the training, these are from Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) and Mailbox club Organization.

After they have been trained for two or three days, the teachers are responsible for starting clubs in Good Samaritan Churches and also in the villages where there are no Good Samaritan Churches.

The teachers meet with the children during the week or on the weekend, meeting once or twice a week is enough, but doing so with the support of the church because we work under the church.

Children’s schedule during their studies

1. Welcome, prayer and rules
2. Songs or choruses
3. Teaching a prayer
4. Teaching a memory verse
5. Teaching a Bible lesson
6. Reviews
7. Invitation and Counseling
8. Announcements
9. Closing prayer

After finishing their studies they do have time to play different games, and it is also the time when the children develop their relationships with their friends when they are chatting together .

When the children are established in their clubs, we visit them every week at various places to see what they are doing and encourage them.

We also set up club branches and choose a leader who is in charge of that branch, and at the end of every two months, they collect the reports to the progress of the work and bring them to the headquarters of the ministry, and we send ourselves to the founder Dr Gardiner Gentry.

In the reports that come we look at these things; the gathered children, saved children and children joined the church.

Every year we do have three or four big meetings. We invite children from several branches and come to one meeting place, we hire cars and go to the branches to pick up the children, after the meeting the children are taken and sent to their areas.

We do also have night meetings where children and adults come and watch the Jesus film and preach the gospel, this way so many souls have been saved.

Things that the teachers have for them to be able to do the work

As the ministry administration we tried that every teacher must have the bible old and new testaments, this helps the teachers prepare well as he/she goes to class to teach the children, the Bible is the foundation of the truth. Often the Bibles are our need in the ministry. So we give Bibles to teachers when there is such help.

We also have the program of uniforms, the teachers have the uniforms that shows unity and shows the ministry you are working with, easy for identification of the ministry. Once we started this program the teachers felt good for this. Some have others not due to lack of funds for the shirts.

When children are in class, they have qualifications like students. They have books for them to learn on it, after they do tests while they are studying, at the end of their studies they have a ceremony to receive certificates. The books that we are using are the books that our partners are trying to support us with. We do go and collect the books and go to different places where there are the Bible clubs and share it that they may use.

Every club has equipment to play sports such as balls, jump ropes, puppets, etc. Still have many clubs yet they don’t have this. To be possible definitely needs money so that every club can be reached with these materials

All that we do in the ministry of Good Samaritan Bible clubs is to fulfill God’s will. God does not want one of these children to be lost! But He wants them to be saved and come to his family.

For doing all these things needs the support that the work of God might be fulfilled.

 “When you want what He wants He will give you what you need!!’’  (Dr Gardiner Gentry)