In Exmouth almost every child from Kindergarten to Year 4 has heard the good news about Jesus and God’s plan of salvation, during Anglican Church minister Frank Nicol’s school visits.
It was a wonderful answer to prayer for Frank, and his wife Jo, who had been praying fervently for such an opportunity following a conversation with a school parent.
Jo explains: "A school mum told me she wanted her children to know the story about Christmas but didn't like to deceive them, especially because they were intuitive boys. To my shock, she was talking about Santa — not Jesus, and I realised how far the true meaning of Christmas was from her radar,” Jo said.
"How terrible it is that people don't know Christmas is about Jesus!"
Frank, who is also part-time school chaplain, approached the Exmouth District High School principal in the lead up to Christmas. He was thrilled to be invited into classrooms to tell children about the first Christmas.
Using the Bible Society resource pack The Really Good News of Christmas - for Me!, Frank explained God's big plan to 11 classes in junior primary. He was supported by Jo and a friend from the Exmouth Christian Fellowship. Parents were given the choice to opt out and a handful of children didn’t attend the lessons.
Later at the town’s annual Community Christmas Carols, some 150 children joined in to perform the song they had learnt - On that very first Christmas - and receive a free gift of the book.
Meanwhile, in Dongara there is a waiting list of children for the one-day kids’ club run by David and Traci Mitchell at Easter and Christmas time.
“Hardly any children are involved regularly with any church in town, so we have been running holiday clubs to engage more with primary school students,” David says.
Many of the kids from David’s scripture in school class also choose to come along.
“It has been very encouraging to see our church members prepared to serve God with their different gifts and so now we can pretty much run the clubs without relying on outside volunteers.
“For each club we use resources generously donated by Sydney supporters — a wonderful partnership in the gospel which enables us to grow ministry here and equip members of our church for ministry.”
Please pray for children and their families to know the Living Lord