But as many as received Him,
to them He gave the right to become children of God,
even to those who believe in His name,” John 1:12
One of the greatest blessings of my life was to be raised in a Christian home. My father abandoned us when I was a toddler, but my mom always made it clear that the Heavenly Father never would. This gave me a very real sense of God’s protection and provision from a very young age. I experienced poverty, hunger, and racial prejudice, but these things did not overwhelm me because I was “a child of the King” as my dear mother would remind me.
At age 10, I asked Jesus to become my Savior and Lord. That was 50 years ago! Today, the news is filled with reports of rising childhood anxiety and depression, violence, and suicide. Many young people will tell you they just want someone to listen to them. Others confess they have no hope.
When teaching secondary English at a local Christian School, I would ask my senior students why many of their contemporaries so eagerly left church attendance and following Christ upon graduation from high school. The responses varied, but most had to do with social issues and a changing culture. This would usually lead to a vigorous defense of the Gospel and assurance that although attitudes change, Our Heavenly Father never does.
Then it dawned on me, although it’s a tragedy when one walks away from the Lord, what if that person heard about Jesus? What of the millions of children who never will have the blessing of a Christian home or a Christian school?
So, here I am at age 60, recently retired and determined to put all of my energies into planting Good News Clubs in Hampton City Schools. There are currently three GNCs sponsored by two churches, and 21 elementary schools in Hampton.
The time has passed for Christians to ask “What can be done . . .?”
We know the answer, so let’s do it!
Korey Kelley, Bethel Baptist Church of Hampton
Administrator of Aberdeen and Peake Good News Clubs
