Children are usually never told not to serve God. But often, by default, they are never provided with opportunities to serve God. While we never say, “Children are not important to train,” our lean emphasis on training children states this truth quite clearly. “You’re just kids,” we tell them through our lack of concern. “Don’t worry about serving God now. You’ll have plenty of time to give to God once you have grown up.” Yet in reality, children often please God in their service more than adults do.
One day when Jesus was in the temple, He saw many people bringing their offerings to God. No doubt, some of them drew great attention as their money was poured into the box. But in the midst of the crowd, a humble, elderly widow made her way to the offering box. And although she only placed two small coins into the treasury, this hardly-noticed lady received God’s attention. (Mark 12:41-44) Children can be much like this seemingly insignificant lady in their gifts to God. If we are not careful, we perceive that children are not capable of important gifts to God.
Once a man asked D.L. Moody how many had been saved at a recent meeting. Moody replied, “Two and a half.” “You mean two adults and one child?” guessed the man. With a heart like Jesus, Dr. Moody explained, “No. Two children and one adult. You see an adult has only half of a life to give back to God, but a child has an entire life to live for God.”
A recent Barna Research poll revealed that out of everyone who trusts Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour, 76% will make the decision between the ages of 5 and 12. Because this is true, Master Clubs is dedicated to providing first-class, service-oriented discipleship materials and discipleship training to Baptist churches all over the world.
Master Clubs is not a sit-while-the-teacher-teaches kind of program. Instead, our goal is to provide a catalyst for adults and children to interact with each other over the Word of God. We desire to help children sharpen their Bible knowledge and plant seed thoughts in their mind that they can serve God right now. Then we provide them with multiple opportunities to serve Him in their home, community, and local church.
From the front of a little brown building on our church property, Master Clubs is reaching out to hundreds of churches in our world. Master Clubs is currently being used in over 560 Baptist churches in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Australia. A conservative estimate shows that through Master Clubs, First Baptist Church of Milford is contributing toward the discipleship of over 22,000 children each week.
“I know my daughter would not be serving God so effectively were it not for Master Clubs in our church!” is what one mother from Virginia recently explained with tears of gratitude and appreciation. Another father from Indiana related that “Master Clubs has given my daughter the confidence to serve God now!”
As our staff travels across the country, there are so many times that we wish for you to be with us to see what our eyes see and to hear what our ears hear. Your hearts would be blessed. Thankful moms. Grateful fathers. Boys and girls teaching and preaching. Children excited about learning and memorizing the Bible. Leaders who have a passion for developing boys and girls into full-time Christians. Master Clubs is helping to provide the future leaders of our churches with a firm foundation, the fruit of which can be a life-time of Christian service.
We are so blessed to have a church which firmly believes that children can serve God now. And our church believes this so strongly that the ministry of Master Clubs is part of the fabric and culture of First Baptist Church in Milford, Ohio.
