Elspeth Kernebone
7 July 2023
Dozens of children have heard the gospel at an annual school holiday program at St Alfred’s Blackburn North.
St Alfred’s hosted about 200 children at “Going Bananas” this week, where they played games, did craft, and heard and talked about Bible stories.
Leaders say the event also mobilises the whole church for mission each year, and grows young leaders – many of whom have been through the program themselves just a few years earlier.
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St Alfred’s children and family’s minister Ross Curnow said it was amazing how directly the program shared the gospel with children. He said participants engaged well with discussion and prayer, the intentional times where they encountered the gospel message.
But Mr Curnow said one of the program’s biggest fruits was in St Alfred’s people, as the whole church worked towards the mission, and teenage leaders grew through being part of a bigger mission. About 120 people of all ages volunteered at the program this year.
“It’s a mission by our church being conducted through children and family’s ministry. But it’s not just a ministry from kids leaders, it’s the whole church,” Mr Curnow said.
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“We see our church mobilising for mission, and we see our own teenagers serving and developing a servant heart, and being part of a big mission.”
Children can come for any or all of the five mornings the program runs during the winter school holidays, for craft, activities, drama, prayer and discussion.
Mr Curnow said children from both church and non-church backgrounds came to the program, including children from churches other than St Alfred’s.
He said before COVID-19 more non-church families came, but it felt like this was building up again as they re-established with new families.
Mr Curnow said leaders could see the children connecting, engaging and asking questions during the program, even though it could be hard to measure the long-term effects.
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He said it was wonderful the children were receiving so much teaching directly from the Bible.
“[Children are] working the world out now, and they can be followers of Jesus now,” Mr Curnow said.
“It’s just really important that they hear it, and they hear it for what it is, and they understand it straight away.
“We’ve sowed those seeds … It’s just really important to tell them, and tell them what the real story is. Jesus came to the world and died for them, and they’re part of that – they’re part of the body as well.”
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