International Christian Fellowship, (ICF)Padova, Italy has a great ministryto children that has helped the church grow tremendously. AGWM Personnel, Steve and Patti Gray, tell about their Vacation Bible School (VBS) this past summer that ministered to 105 kids. The Grays did not advertise the coming VBS, but parents began to sign up their children right after Easter. They had to rent additional facilities to house all the children's ministries. Most all of the children had accepted Christ into their lives by the end of the summer sessions and several were filled with the Holy Spirit.
International Christian Fellowship, (ICF)Padova, Italy has a great ministry to children that has helped the church grow tremendously. AGWM Personnel, Steve and Patti Gray, tell about their Vacation Bible School (VBS) this past summer that ministered to 105 kids. The Grays did not advertise the coming VBS, but parents began to sign up their children right after Easter. They had to rent additional facilities to house all the children's ministries. Most all of the children had accepted Christ into their lives by the end of the summer sessions and several were filled with the Holy Spirit.
The English summer school/VBS was conducted 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, for 7 weeks. The children's ages ranged from 4-14 and came from several
different countries and church backgrounds. These included the countries of Romania, Albania, Nigeria, Cameroon, Philippines, Italy, Sri Lanka and from
the Orthodox, Catholic, Buddhist, and Pentecostal churches.
Six short-term workers came who served for 3 months as well as other teams from the United States that came for a month, and some for one week. Teens
from the Gray's church helped with translation needs. Every week featured a different theme such as Kingdom Rock, Cowboy, Jungle, Creation, Swamp etc.
In the morning various VBS activities were done such as crafts, games, Bible stories, skits and worship. In the afternoons, the kids were taught to read and write English. Story time was included for the younger kids and drama and human videos was featured for the older kids. The highlight of the week
was ice cream on Fridays.
Parents testified that their children loved the school and begged to come. They were excited that they were learning to read the Bible and decided to
start coming to ICF.
One afternoon one of the team leaders gave his testimony about how he was a bully and ended up in jail before Jesus changed his life. He asked if any felt they were a bully and if they wanted Jesus to change them. All the boys and a couple of girls who were always fighting or in trouble raised their hands and came to the altar for prayer. Every child whom the Grays knew had this problem raised their hand and came forward. The Spirit of God was so strong as the leaders began to pray for them and they began to cry and then huddled in groups and prayed for themselves for about 30 minutes. Parents had to wait for the children, but as those kids left school late that day, they left as new creations. It was so wonderful to watch.
Patti Gray also relates that they had "purity" talks with the older kids this year and the girls received red roses to let dry and keep for their future husbands as a symbol of their purity.
Most of the children who enrolled in the VBS were born in Italy...they are Italy's future. What a better future they will have knowing Jesus and English...better jobs, better families. Italy will benefit from having honest, God fearing citizens.This investment of time and energy into children will reap eternal results.