Volunteer or Called

At a recent three day conference in Peru, Daniel Watts president of EGM, finished the conference a little differently. It might look like your normal altar call, but this was nothing like that. After articulating the amazing task and challenge of ministering to children, Daniel gave a call to respond. This call was not like any other. He challenged all of the children’s workers in the room to not serve because of guilt, not because the children need someone to care for them, not because the pastor asked, but Daniel asked the group of children’s workers to come forward and be prayed for if they felt GOD was CALLING them to serve children. The response was remarkable. Ninety-five percent of the people were out of their seats and standing to be prayed for. God is moving in the lives of His people to bring children into His presence. This past weekend almost 200 teachers stood to say that God’s call on their lives was to do just that.

Agents of Change in DR Congo

The pastor of the church rose to his feet and said, “I have never expressed love to children, even in my own home.  I never saw the children as anything but a problem to solve.  Through these brothers, I have seen the heart of God for the children and want to commit publicly to welcome them in my church.”

Not often are we given the privilege of being part of a seminal moment, one that influences the development of future events, but this was definitely such a moment.  And these moments were repeated many times over.

Joe Cox and David Overstreet were the agents who gave the message of God’s heart and the Holy Spirit did the rest in this troubled northeastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  There are still Tutus and Hutsis killing each other. There is still profound poverty and illiteracy, but now the children no longer will only get to peep through the windowless frames in church walls.   Now the children will hear Bible stories and learn of the God who transforms lives, forgives sin and gives hope for their future.  Now the children will no longer be marginalized but included.   Now teachers have learned how to teach the children instead of only singing for two hours.  They have learned the Biblical model for working with the children from Deut. 6:4-9. Perhaps more will come to work with these leaders who often have hundreds of children with little or no help at all.  In any case, the children now will know that God has a heart for them!  That is a seminal change!