Here in Coulby Newham, a small area of Middlesbrough, there’s a tiny church doing amazing things. Coulby Newham Baptist Church, where I work, has an amazing heart for outreach to the local community and is immensely faithful to reaching the miniscule area of the northeast that God has given them. I’m involved in almost every outreach ministry CNBC runs, including: toddler group, a coffee morning for pensioners, Sunday morning services and children’s work, youth church, and Bible studies in the local secondary school. But out of all the work I do, my favourite thing is our Kids Club.
Every Tuesday night, a group of 12-15 primary school children come to our church building from the estate around us. These kids are mostly unchurched, and this Kids Club is most likely the only connection they have ever had, or will ever have, with Christians. This means we have a massive responsibility to love these kids like Jesus commands and to teach them the gospel faithfully week in and week out. I work very hard to keep the activities exciting and new each week, so that the children will look back on their time in Kids Club years later and remember the fun they had and the kindness they were shown by the church. Our activities include arts and crafts, board games, discos, baking, movies, group games, drama, and all kinds of other fun things. Every week is chaotic, but also so much fun. It brings me joy to know that we are providing a safe and fun environment where kids can just be crazy and know that they are deeply loved, both by the leaders but also by God.
The children are taught a Bible story at the end of each session, and they are given an opportunity to ask questions and talk together about the Bible. They get to see that the Bible really is relevant to their lives and it is possible to have a real relationship with Jesus. My prayer for this ministry is that God would be moving mightily through our faithfulness, that these kids would have a positive impression of Jesus and the church. I pray that as they grow older and life becomes harder, the church would always be a place of safety where they can go to be loved and discover more about Jesus. We now see older young people who have graduated from Kids Club coming to our Youth Church, wanting to be friends with us and learn more about God. The energy we put into Kids Club now will build a lasting impression on these children later, and will make them infinitely more likely to come to church at a later age and eventually come to saving faith in Christ.
About the Author
EMMA SACCO
Austin, TX | 22
PROJECT: Coulby Newham
Emma grew up in Austin and attended Texas A&M, graduating with a degree in international art and culture. She married her husband, Vincent, in November 2014 and shortly after, they moved to Coulby Newham. Emma works as a youth worker and administrator at Coulby Newham Baptist Church.
