Stories from CEF
Not a Walk in the Park
By Kevin Lamberston, CEF Southern Maine
“It is no secret that most of our churches are lacking children. For years churches had thriving Sunday Schools and kids ministries that were bursting at the seams. Somewhere along the way, however, those numbers slowly dwindled. Kids aged out of programs, and no one was there to replace them. Where did the kids go? We know there are kids around us; the schools are full of them. Even with a shrinking younger population in Maine, we still have hundreds of kids in the neighborhoods around our homes and churches. But, too often we never come in contact with these kids or their parents. We also know it is likely that we will not see them in our churches. Much of the problem arises from the current anti-God mentality in our society; an increasing number of people who do not adhere to any formal religion, coupled with ever–expanding and dizzyingly complicated family schedules. How can we reach these children and their families with the Gospel?
We also know it is likely that we will not see them in our churches.

Reaching kids may not be “a walk in the park” anymore, as it seemed to be at one time, but Kim took a walk in her park and saw it not as a place for families to gather but as a mission field full of people in need of Christ. Will Sunday kid’s programming in our churches revive to its former level of impact? I hope so. But, maybe, the answer to reaching more kids through our churches isn’t that we bring them to us, but that we are willing to go to them.”
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