Story Behind The Photo: Kalei

In my experience, kid’s ministry and “calm” are two things rarely found in coexistence. I used to think that achieving a level of calmness or composure during a ministry time with kids in some terms meant that you had been successful. That, however, would not be an accurate description of the ministry time pictured here or many others. 

Let me set the scene: I was in my first week of DTS outreach, my first week of being in Africa, and my first week of leading any type of ministry. Throughout the week, our host church had been dividing us into teams of 2-3 with a translator and sending us into the village to share the gospel. But on this day, I volunteered to stay back, along with another girl from another team, to be with the kids that had gathered at the church. The nerves were real. I wasn’t that keen on public speaking - even if the crowd in front of me was a group of kids. My teammate and I spent a rushed couple of minutes discussing and asking the Lord what we should do as the kids led us behind the church, to the Sunday school rooms.

If I remember correctly, we chose to speak to them on Matthew 6:25-34, and how they are much more valuable than the birds of the air or the most beautiful flower in the meadow. Looking back on this ministry time now, I don’t have any great stories to tell of what happened that day. It seems rather normal, in a sense. The kids were full of joy and laughter, and maybe only half of them were able to hear what we were saying and let it soak in. I would count it a successful ministry time. We sang songs together after the story, and then played games in the grass outside.

At the time, I was worried. I was worried that we didn’t tell the story right, they hadn’t listened enough to get anything of value out of the time. But I don’t think that ministry is as complicated or as faulty as that- and I think we tend to take control of ministry times more than we ought. Obedience is the vessel in which God’s power rushes through.

Out of obedience, my teammate and I spoke the words of Jesus in that classroom- and while I remember some of the kids were distracted, I also remember the wide, attentive eyes of others in the room. We cannot always put our finger on what God is doing in the room, but we can be obedient- even when we don’t see immediate results. We sow, and He produces the fruit. 

Ephesians 3:20-21 “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”