What About Reading Classes?
From the moment Scott and I first visited the new Lauren’s Lighthouse Temple building site, children from the area began to appear. Sweet and curious, they greeted us and wanted to be part of whatever was going on. As the weeks went on, and LLT continued to meet there, more and more children came until it was necessary to start two Children’s Sunday School classes. Soon, the teachers realized the older group did not know how to read, so they began Saturday afternoon reading classes.
Not long after the reading classes began, a boy from the neighborhood passed by and joined both the reading class and Sunday School. He was so excited about it that he went home and asked his mom to attend church with him. She agreed, and they came the following Sunday. At the end of the service, both the boy and his mother gave their lives to Jesus and joined LLT. The next week, the mother and son brought two friends, and they both gave their lives to Jesus and joined the church.
The mother, son, and their two guests were all Muslims. To date, there have been 12 Muslims who have given their lives to Jesus and joined LLT. Now, they are asking for Bibles.
Why would the people of Lauren’s Lighthouse Temple give their time to teach children to read? Aren’t churches supposed to be about the task of spreading the Gospel? Maybe you have heard the saying, “People don’t care what you know until they know you care.” Perhaps that is why Jesus commands us to love our neighbors, to give to those in need, and to serve Him by serving others. This is part of the Gospel, because the Kingdom of God is about love. The only way to share the Gospel is in love.
I am so proud of the people of Lauren’s Lighthouse Temple. Reading classes for children have already produced fruit in the way of opportunities to invite the lost into the Kingdom of God. It will continue to produce fruit as the children’s educational possibilities open up. I am proud, but I am also challenged by this kind of love. May I be more intentional in the way I love my neighbors for the sake of God’s Kingdom and their future in it.