Kids in Discipleship

An exciting new program that is taking place this year at MCE is Kids In Discipleship for the school. The Southern Union and KY/TN Conference Education Departments sponsored training for Kids in Discipleship and sent Pastor Mike, Pastor Angel, Mr. Cheney and myself to Collegedale to learn about the program.

We learned that it is important to instill in our children a personal relationship with Jesus between the ages of five and thirteen. It was unfortunate to learn that our youth are leaving the church at a rate of 40 to 50 percent. The good news is that we learned applications we can implement in the school to help children develop a stronger relationship with Jesus, in addition to the teachers' efforts on their behalf.

It is important to have a connection from home, church and school. Family worship is a great way to share with your children your knowledge of Christ and how He works in your life. I know it is not easy to fit into our busy lives, but the importance of spending time with Jesus as a friend so children can grow in their knowledge of Him should be the biggest priority in our lives. In church children can see the involvement of pastors and teachers who care and are willing to spend time with them and show how Jesus is active in their lives. In the school we learned the importance of prayer partners and a Volunteer Classroom Chaplain, who is involved in the weekly lives of the students to help disciple them to Jesus.

The goal of the classroom chaplain is to help the children learn how to develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The chaplains are encouraged to pray daily for each student and teacher in the class they are assigned to. Weekly, they will lead out in a spiritual growth initiative or worship in the students’ classroom. Once a month or quarter the chaplain will organize and lead in a service or outreach adventure. They will also spend time with the students in other activities, such as recess or lunch, which helps them to build a personal relationship with the kids. Involving a chaplain will give the students another positive Christian role model with whom they can relate and who will help foster their discipleship in the school setting.

Each room will have a chaplain working with the teacher and students. I’m glad to tell you that most rooms at MCE have assigned chaplains, and several are already actively involved! Please keep this program in your prayers. Our prayer is that the children will come to know Jesus better and all the glory will be given to Him.

”Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19

---Mary Ann Monroe