Children's Bible Clubs growing steadily

Hyderabad – The Children Bible Club, Mission India’s indigenous church support program, is growing steadily and has helped reach the Good News to the poor and marginalized, according to news reports.

According to Grand Rapids, Michigan–based Mission India's John DeVries, there are about 750 national Indian missions that they are working with and they train their members to do a two–week Bible club program for children.

“Many clubs are held by our partners in places where living conditions are all but hopeless,” DeVries said. He recounted a recent incident when they took some visitors to a village near Hyderabad to see the progress of one of the children's Bible club ministries.

It was there that the team received a pleasant surprise. "The demand for the children's Bible club and the ongoing after school club was so great, that the families of the village had decided to limit themselves to only one child per family. They were sort of 'rationing' themselves out because we didn't have facilities, and the mission we partnered with didn't have room for them," he recalled.

Through Mission India, teachers are trained in craft ideas, puppetry, games, Scripture storytelling techniques and class management. Teachers are given workbooks in their regional language, cassettes of original songs, teacher's manuals, posters and name badges. Students receive workbooks and ID tags.