With your help, children are choosing to learn about God at lunch

For many children and young people, lunch time is the highlight of the school day, a chance to let loose outside the classroom with friends. 

But at a primary school in Darwin, children are opting to spend their lunch times willingly in the classroom. The REIS (or RI as they call it in the NT) classroom,  that is! Teacher Johan shares below how the year has started at his school.

“RI has started well this year due to the school following good process. We had 80 students registered for RI, of which we are getting a regular attendance of around 40 students.

“This increase in numbers has seen an increase in fun and momentum, and each week more students ask if they can join RI.

“Running a class during  lunch break is hard work. We want to value students and their break time, and keep our time fun and engaging as we point to our Saviour,  Jesus.

“The children are really enjoying discovering who Jesus is as we open the Bible in different ways. Our prayer is that kids feel welcome and loved, and God is at work in their lives as this work continues.”

The children do indeed seem to be feeling welcomed and loved, as the story Johan shares from last year clearly shows below: 

“We had been praying for more children to join our RI classes. 

“As I walked around my school to collect students, I had three students walk up to me and ask me who I was and what I was doing.

“I explained that I was here to help people understand God’s good news,  and one student in particular was very keen to participate in RI class. 

“I advised him of the cost. He would miss his lunch each Wednesday, to which he replied: ‘What’s better, to play games and have fun, or to learn about God and Jesus?’ 

“The next week he joined us and was so excited to learn more, as were three other new students.”

Praise God that he is at work and drawing more young people to himself. Please pray that he will complete this work in these new students’ hearts, and that more teachers will be raised up for this vital work in Darwin schools.