(Christ-Centered Fun)
The weekly children’s program of the Cairo Christian Fellowship (CCF) is in full swing. Each week, families from throughout Cairo bring their children to the Church of God property garden where we live for this exciting “Saturday School” program. The children range in age from newborns to 11 years old. Each week begins with an optional activity sheet that may include a picture to color, a maze, or some other activity; even if any of the kids do not want to do the sheet, they always look to see what the lesson will be about based on the activity sheet. Then, the kids worship by giving an offering, sharing their “popcorn praises” (popping up to say their thanksgivings), and singing VBS-type songs. Before the weekly Bible story, the kids join us in prayer. After the Bible story, the kids usually split into two groups: one to go to the craft which corresponds to the Bible story of the day, and the other group goes to the game time, which also usually relates to the Bible story. While the kids eat snacks, they now have the opportunity to recite Bible verses to one of the parents (something new this fall).Speaking of the parents, they don’t just drop off their kids and leave; they stay throughout the day. We ask the parents to help when needed, whether with helping the kids to pay attention, or to participate in the game, or in assisting their children with the crafts. When they are able to leave their kids to an activity, the parents take the time to encourage one another, sometimes in prayer and Bible study. Each week, parents sign up to bring snacks, and we are working on increasing their various leadership roles so that we can expand the program to better serve the children by dividing them into smaller age groups. A couple of days after the program, we provide an “ASAP” guide for helping the parents continue to talk about the Bible story’s application at home; “ASAP” stands for “Ask, Share,
Apply, and Pray”.
As many of you know, our whole family is usually involved from set up to clean up in leading the kids program, when other school activities don’t get in the way for our kids. Our kids know this is a part of our ministry role, and each week they do a great job in helping us serve these families.
Ken & Kelli Oldham
Pray
✴Pray for safety and protection as extremist threats abound in Egypt; from attacks on security forces in the Sinai, to bombings against security forces near universities, to a recent threat against our community. Read more about that HERE.✴Pray for the Church throughout Lebanon. We look to launch the teen discipleship program in cooperation with national leadership in November. Meanwhile, another extremist incursion into the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli has brought the threat of war closer.
✴Pray for travel safety in November; first for Ken as he travels to facilitate the Budapest Lectures November 6-10, and for the whole family as we travel to Athens for the annual 3W Staff Meeting November 26-30.
✴We praise God for the good academic progress reports our kids have received this semester.
✴We rejoice that our friends and teammates Zach & Audrey Langford have resumed their ministry in northern England.
✴We mourn with the Rainier (OR) church family at the passing of Pastor Steve Stecker. Steve became a good friend in their support of our family’s calling to serve in the Middle East.
