Sunday, February 14, 2010

Street Fun with Kids in Esselen Park

Once a month, the Kempton Park preaching team holds a “Street Fun” event on Saturday mornings with the kids in Esselen Park. We select a low-traffic street near where the KINOS (Kids In Need Of Support) from our ecclesial Sunday School class live and invite them and all their friends to join us for fun and games in the street. Yesterday, 70 children showed up and we had a great time together with tug-of-war, sack races, pig-in-the-pen dodgeball, three-man plank racing, soccer, and jump rope. Sis. Liezl, Sis. Lilande, and Sis. Megan provided face painting for the children and we closed by singing praise songs together and giving them a snack to eat.

This type of event offers us an opportunity to spend time with the 30 children in our Sunday School class outside of a bible study setting having a good time together. It also allows them to show their friends that Christadelphians are fun people to be with. Working directly in the neighborhoods of the townships help show the children that we care about them and it helps integrate our preaching work with the community. This community involvement will become even more valuable as the new Aphiwe Community Centre opens in a few weeks there in Tembisa. There is also the potential this could become an ecclesial meeting hall someday with enough interest from the community in bible truth.


70 children showed up for our second “Street Fun Event” in Esselen Park.


The children all had a great time playing games with the Kempton Park preaching team and their friends.


The sack races were a big hit with the kids.


Bro. Lucas Scheepers cheers on one boy who is airborne in his sack.


Games in the street like this offer the opportunity to integrate with the community to build trust for preaching efforts.


Sis. Liezl Scheepers and Sis. Lilande Scheepers provided face painting for the children.


Sis. Megan Sabo paints a heart on one little girl’s face.


One little boy proudly displaying his face paint.


Bro. Lucas Scheepers joining in on the tug-of-war match.


We passed out several bottles for the kids to blow bubbles.


I felt like a human amusement park ride. The kids were quite content to get carried around the street by the tall American.


The boys were naturals at the three-person-plank races.


The girls had the jump rope down pat!


From right: Bro. Hendri Viljoen, Sis. Liezl Scheepers, Sis. Lilande Scheepers, and Bro. Lucas Scheepers lead the children in singing praise hymns.


The children munch on a snack as we close out the Street Fun Event.


Sis. Lilande Scheepers poses with some of the children from the Street Fun Event.


Your brother in Christ's service,
Bro. Jonathan Sabo - Kempton Park, South Africa Ecclesia

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