Kids Catching a Kingdom Vision

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The blog was written by my daughter Anna Brock 

Jesus feeding the five thousand is a popular story in John 6:1-14 and often a favorite miracle shared among adults and kids. Sometimes I find myself missing out on God’s truth throughout Scripture when I read familiar stories that I have heard since I was a child. However, the Holy Spirit allowed me to put myself into the story and view this amazing miracle from the perspective of the young boy who shared his 5 small barley loaves and his 2 small fish. I am so thankful for how God allowed me to see this story through new lenses and share  the backstory that allowed me to reflect on this miracle.

I have the amazing opportunity to work with the kids at the church we attend in Parker, Colorado and our team wanted to teach our kids the spiritual discipline of giving. As spring planning was in full force for Vacation Bible School, I was presented with the idea of taking a mission offering for Oceans Ministries. I loved the idea and was excited about raising funds to support the kids living in the township of Jim Se Bos.

When asked how much we should raise for a 4-day VBS, I suggested what I felt was a reasonable amount of $200. I did not want to set the bar too high and wanted to protect everyone from disappointment. I was immediately challenged by my co-workers to raise the goal to $400. I was skeptical, but agreed it was doable. Needless to say, the kids caught the vision and raised over $1,000 for their brothers and sisters living across the world in South Africa. When I heard the news, I was speechless and in disbelief. I was then humbled, and the more I processed it I was not surprised because this is the God we serve. He blows our expectations and shows us time and time again He is in the business of multiplying.

Back to the feeding of the five thousand and the young boy with the five loaves and two fish. Have you ever taken the time to think about what it was like to be the boy who gave his lunch away and what it must have felt like to watch Jesus multiply his small offering? In the middle of the night as I was rocking my newborn to sleep I thought about this young boy. I thought about his faith and his courage. I tried to imagine how the story played out. Did he come to the disciples and offer his lunch? Did one of the disciples ask him to share? Either way, I was encouraged by his heart to give. He brought all he had and presented it to Jesus trusting that He could do whatever He wanted with his small offering. This is how I felt when I heard about how the kids at VBS responded to giving to other kids they had never met living in poverty. Each day the kids came eager and excited to share what they had like the boy in the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand.

I challenge you to read this familiar story again with a new lens. Ask yourself, are you the young boy who with the heart to give everything away and faith that Jesus will multiply what you bring? Or are you more like Philip or Andrew questioning the logistics, worried about the financial burden, or the failed outcome? I found myself more like the disciples in the story, but now have a deep desire to become more like the young boy and wait for miracles to happen.

We often think we have something to teach our children, but my heart was encouraged by witnessing the Lord use the generous hearts of children to teach my soul a lesson about the Kingdom of Heaven. There is a reason Jesus says in Matthew 18:4,“ Whoever continually humbles himself to become like this child is the greatest one in heaven’s kingdom realm.”

Stories of His Faithfulness

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Written by Mike Verkaik:

Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story. – Psalm 107:2

One of the joys and life giving gifts of leading kingdom encounter trips is to almost daily hear testimonials and stories of our Father’s faithfulness and provision from local people, and partner ministries. To me, listening to the accounts of people following the promptings of the Holy Spirit, are an extension of the Bible living and breathing in our day. Each story is a new chapter in God’s enfolding plan of bringing His kingdom to earth. As I listen and watch the stories bring life, hope, and joy into a world that can be so filled with negativity and darkness.

During one of our family times in South Africa we invited Brian Steele and his wife Zelia to share their story of how God led Brian to leave his current position at a larger private school to become the new principal at VTC, the Christian school moving onto the Oceans Retreat Center (ORC) campus.

His story was a beautiful reminder of the orchestration of our Abba Father to bring His kingdom to earth through His obedient followers. To begin, Brian actually spent much of his childhood years living on the campus of ORC, while his parents managed the facility, so in many ways this is somewhat of a homecoming. His advancement into leadership at his former school was not through self-seeking actions, but from the encouragement and persuasion of his co-workers. His work was satisfying, and he was well respected by students and staff, however, there grew in him a deep hunger to be and share Christ’s “salt and light” to the students under his care.

Although Brian was currently leading through his example of Christ’s love for him, God placed a deep desire to also verbally share Christ’s love to his students, however, that was not permitted at his former school. What followed is a beautiful story of God taking the seed of Brian’s seeking heart, and spiritually germinating, watering, growing and pruning him to have the courage to leave his economic security and step into the calling on his life to speak the Father’ truths into and over children He places in His care.

That night we heard and saw the beautiful story of our Father’s Spirit wooing Brian and Zelia to hear and listen to their Father’s voice, and through them choosing to have the Father’s story lived out in them, the words of Jesus took on life once again:

…the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice … My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. – John 10:3-4,27

What a relational God we have. As we continue to listen and follow His leading in our lives, may His story of faithfulness be the story we long to share with a world that needs more and more of His salt and light.