CHILDREN'S CLUB IN CAVAILLON

by Susan Howe

In 1996, two families approached Jonathan Hanley, the pastor of a church in Cavaillon. They wanted their children to learn about the Bible, and Sunday morning was not a good time for them. In co-operation with MEPA, the church began a fortnightly club on Saturday afternoons. The seven children involved are quite young; most are between four and six years old.

We started with well-known Bible stories about characters such as Moses, Abraham and Daniel. Now we are working through the main events in Jesus' life. We encourage the children to tell their parents the stories afterwards. We start each week by asking the children about the previous story and we are often encouraged by just how much the children can remember. The small group atmosphere encourages the younger ones to take part and ask questions.

At Christmas the children joined us for a special programme. This gave us a good opportunity to speak to the parents. One couple has since attended a Sunday morning service. Our prayer for the children is that through the stories and the games they will learn to know God for themselves.