Though St. John’s in Fort Smith, NWT currently finds itself without any clergy, that didn’t deter a couple of dedicated volunteers from making sure the children in the community have a safe place to gather, to know that they are loved, and that they matter to God.

Lay Leader Whitney MacDonald (who was recently licensed back in May) took the lead on the new “Kids’ Club” program. Along with vestry member Linda Foster and a number of other helpers who pitch in as they’re able, they open the church hall on Friday nights for games, snacks, a movie, and, most importantly, the opportunity to build relationships and get to know each other.

“If the Church isn’t going to tell these kids that they are loved, who will?”, said Whitney. “Apart from my own 4 children, most of the others have no association to St. John’s. They aren’t part of the church, their parents don’t attend. But they will send their kids, and that means it’s an opportunity to reach entire families with the Good News”. The program runs every Friday that schools are open. There’s often over 25 kids there each week, and over 50 different kids are registered.

“It’s not Sunday School, we’re not doing a fullblown Bible Study or anything like that, but we’re planting the seeds of discipleship with these kids who honestly only know ‘Jesus’ as a curse word and have no clue what Christmas or Easter are even about”, she said. “Once the kids know you and they feel safe, they ask amazing questions. That’s where God does the real work!”

Pray for the volunteer team in Fort Smith!