Then i looked closer…
Happy Monday!
In March, we started using the curriculum from North Point Ministries, Irresistible Church Network. We are so grateful for the generosity from my church to help us continue to teach and give our children tangible ways to grow in their faith. Sundays are one of my favorite days at Project Canaan. We have three services but my favorite of the three is our last service, which is for our Grade 5-8 children.
During this service we are using curriculum from Transit, the middle school environment at my home church in Atlanta, GA. We started using a plasma TV at the beginning of April and I can see each and every week that the engagement is going up, our children are paying closer attention and our Pastor is really delivering some AMAZING teaching and preaching. When you have an idea of ways to make something better or ways to help children engage further you don't really know how it is going to go until you try. Currently we are in the middle of a five part series about taking strides in your faith. We picked this series because we felt it was practical and the children would be able to relate and put these practical ways to grow in their faith to practice. Week one we talked about how singing from your heart to God grows your faith, week two we discussed how sharing your story is sharing God's story, week three we talked about how reading the Bible helps us to know God and know how to live, yesterday we talked about how generosity starts with your heart.
Some Sundays I wonder if they are listening or even paying attention but yesterday I really got to see the impact of the improvements we have made to our service. I was sitting there listening to our Pastor teach and looked over and saw one of our sixth grade boys writing something. Honestly, I thought he was just writing or drawing because he was bored but as I looked closer I saw he was taking notes. It took my breath away. I think I would expect something like this from one of our older girls but not one of our sixth grade boys. After the service I asked this young man what made him start taking notes and he said, "I like taking notes because it helps me remember the things that are important to help me be more like Jesus." I took a deep breath, wiped a tear from my eye and gave him a big hug. That sweet boy has no idea how God used him in that moment to remind me that we are making a difference.
With the children getting older at Project Canaan, different challenges are coming our way and honestly, some days it just feels heavy and hard to navigate and deal with the challenges in front of us. BUT yesterday, I got to see the fruit of your generosity, prayers, support and encouragement and that was enough to remind me that I am where I am supposed to be and God is using all things, big and small to continue to capture the hearts of the people in our care. This may seem like something small to you but to me, it's BIG.
I want to share a little message from our Pastor about his gratitude to your for the ability to purchase the television to use during our Sunday services:
“I don’t think I will ever fully be able to express how grateful I am for what your friends have done for us, both personally and for our ministry. The gift of this television has changed the way I am able to teach. It has opened up new ways for me to creatively share the truth of God’s Word and help others understand what it looks like to follow Jesus more closely.
Please pass along my deepest thanks to those who support you. Because of their generosity, we are able to reach further and make a greater impact than we ever imagined possible.”
Thank you for being part of this story with me. Your prayers, generosity, and encouragement are not just supporting a ministry, they are shaping hearts and changing lives in real time. I wish you could sit in that room and see what I see, but I hope this gives you a glimpse of the impact you are making every single day. As we head into this next season and prepare for Transit weekend, I would love for you to continue praying with us and, if you feel led, consider helping us sponsor one more child to experience it. We still are in need of 11 more sponsors at $55 per student! If you would like to make a one-time gift, you can do so here, https://globaloutreach.org/giving/missionary-details/hannah-bacon