It’s been a while since my last post. We’ve had two clubs on back to back Fridays since then, so it’s been a little crazy! I’ll try to fill you in.
On Friday, October 29 we had our WyldLife Halloween Party at Lake Highlands United Methodist. With a bunch of carnival games, lots of popcorn, a huge inflatable slide, a bounce house, and “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” playing all night, the idea of boredom was out of the question.
After we closed down all of the games and inflatables, we brought everybody into the gym for a very important talk concerning sin. Kids were told about how sin is what separates them from God and makes them selfish. I talked about the fact that we all have sin and we all have turned our back on God and that there is absolutely nothing we can do to fix our condition.
When I had finished explaining what sin was, why we had it, and what the consequences were because of it, I told everyone that there actually was a cure for it – that God did something involving Jesus that got rid of all our sin. Even though I was going to explain to everyone what that cure was next Friday at club, I invited kids up to the front to talk with me if they didn’t want to wait an entire week. After I finished praying, about twenty kids slowly came up to the front, one by one, asking me “What is the cure?”
Seeing that many kids walk up after the talk blew me away. It was very exciting to see the Spirit working through these kids that night and it definitely capped off everything in a way that could not be equaled. After we took into account which kids came up, we split them up with their leaders so they could have the Gospel explained to them by somebody they knew personally. I got the privilege to go with eight 7th grade boys and their leader. It was a lot of fun listening to that conversation and hearing all the questions these boys had.
After the night was over, I found out that one of the last kids to leave had accepted Christ for the first time. How exciting that was!! This was a kid that I had been talking with at lunch at school every time I visited. I had invited him to club since the beginning of the year, but had never seen him show up. Finally, he made it to a club and accepted Christ that night! It’s been a blast following up with him and talking about what it means to believe in Christ.
All of the fun we had that night with games and bounce houses paled in comparison to the fact that a kid accepted Christ that night. His story made everything that much better.
Friday, November 5 was the night of our last club. We hosted our annual “Girls vs. Guys” club, which consists of girls and guys competing to win games involving athletic ability, teamwork, discipline, knowledge, and cleverness.
After we had awarded points for the first five challenges, the guys went into the WyldLife Jeopardy Challenge ahead by one point. The guys dominated in the early rounds, sticking to categories focused on the Texas Rangers and Football. Eventually, the girls took control and turned the momentum of the game towards categories in which they knew best: Make Up and Shopping. The final question came down to a controversial call in which the guys thought they had buzzed in first. The guys shouted out the answer to the question with confidence and passion: “Who is JOSH HAMILTON?!” Unfortunately, the girls had buzzed in first and repeated the guys’ answer and came away with the win and a point to tie the competition at 3-3.
The tiebreaker was a challenge requiring rhythm and discipline. Each team was to follow their team leader in order to create a clapping sequence. The team with the most clear and concise clapping would win. The girls set the standard incredibly high from the start, but the guys showed undeniable determination and pulled out the victory. It was a shocker. The guys earned bragging rights for the next year.
When we finished the competition we held a small graduation ceremony for our entire freshman class since this was their last WyldLife Club EVER! We gave them a diploma congratulating them for making it this far and told them that we would be seeing them on Mondays from now on.
The last part of the night was the most exciting. I got to tell kids about the Gift of Jesus Christ. After last week’s talk that basically left kids hanging on the fact that they were separated from God by sin and that there was absolutely nothing they could do about it, I got to explain to them what the Gift of Jesus Christ is. I told them about Christ being betrayed and put on the cross for us. I explained that Christ not only died, but that in his death he carried the burden of our sin so we didn’t have to, and that what he did for us enables us to have a relationship with the God of the Universe.
It was a very sweet night for me because I got to deliver a message to a group of kids that I had been investing in for quite a while. After I had concluded the message and prayed for everyone I welcomed a host of boys approaching me filled with smiles and laughter. Handshakes and hugs replaced the usual punch in the arm, and the phrase “See you at Campaigners,” was uttered by practically everyone. Campaigners is our weekly Bible study for kids who want to know more about Jesus.
It was a night I’ll never forget and reminded me why I do what I do.
