Monthly Newsletter
November 2019
Moving Closer to Him
Greetings and blessings! It is with a joyful heart that I get to report some amazing stories about our kids to you from the month of October. We are really starting to see our classrooms become a rich environment for the gospel to flow like oil. We also had some fantastic teachers come share these past few Saturdays and bring us fun activities to reinforce our learning. But first I want to share about a conversation I had with a parent, because I know it will bless your heart as much as it blessed mine. She is the mom of a sweet little 2nd grade boy, who had started coming to COC this past spring. I had called her about something unrelated, and when we finished, she proceeded to share with me that since her son has begun attending our program, she has seen a change in him! She shared that not only has his behavior been improving, but he also is constantly in conversation about the Lord, asking questions and sharing what he has learned. Isn’t this just the very reason we are all doing what we are doing? To hear the testimony of a parent whose child is bringing Jesus home and sharing Him…is more than encouraging. It is motivation to press our love into these children even more and validation from our God that he has placed all of us according to His will!
We have seen the children asking more questions, more eager to participate, and more motivated to exhibit good behavior. I am particularly blessed to say that my class of 6th-12th grade girls have been really coming together as a group and realizing that they have a safe place to discuss spiritual matters. We also attended the new ministry for women and teen girls at Grace Christian Fellowship on October 13th, called “Grace N’ Grit”. We filled up two tables, and all of our girls were so sweet and had a great time. I found out one of them answered on their feedback card that their least favorite part of the evening was leaving! These girls have been a joy to teach and converse with, and because they have allowed us the room to teach the gospel they have earned an evening out! Plus, God has been faithful to me in my pursuit of the CDL needed to drive the buses, and I passed! So on November 16th , I will be driving our class and female volunteers to AstroSkate for a few hours followed by a movie and popcorn at our very own Amanda Johnson’s house. These girls have earned a night of fun together by their cooperative spirit, and I am excited to have some fun with them. I’m just praying my ankles hold up!
When BLDG 28 Church came to visit us this month, they taught on one of my personal favorite Bible characters—Joseph. Our children also have much in common with Joseph—many come from blended families with multiple siblings, with rivalries constantly in the mix. Many of them have suffered through a variety of circumstances that have occurred by no fault of their own. So, the children responded so well to this teaching. Peter and the gang always teach with such energy and interaction, and their activity was a big hit. They brought us rolls of different color streamer paper and divided the children into teams. The children had to wrap their “Joseph” in the paper in one minute to create the “coat of many colors”. Winners were chosen by crowd applause! The following week Pastor Lucas and Grace Christian Fellowship came to teach and serve. Pastor Lucas taught us about the paralyzed man whose four friends carried him and lowered him through the roof just for the opportunity to get close to Jesus. We asked the children what they would do to bring their friends to Jesus, which led to a super fun game brought by Pastor Lucas. He assembled the children into 5-person teams, gave them blankets, and they raced to drag their friend on a blanket to the finish line. We had so much fun!
And even more fun is to come. We are in the season now of planning our annual Christmas Party, and definitely want to give all of you the opportunity to participate in this immense blessing. I can actually testify, and many other adults I’ve talked to, that a program or ministry like ours enabled me to have a few nice Christmases as a young child. Now, we know that it is not about gifts or decorations but to celebrate the incarnation and birth of our Savior…but while remembering this we should not underestimate how tremendous the impact that a few small gifts, a pair of durable sandals, a homecooked meal, and an army of believers pouring their love out can have. So we invite you to give to this effort and participate in the events. Please take a look at the communication card in this mailing to pray about how you might be able to bless a child in your community this Christmas. We are forever grateful to the Lord for the opportunities He has given us to glorify Him through this ministry, and pray His richest blessings over those who give, pray, and serve with us. You all are His hands and feet and your obedience is observed by the King of the World! God bless you!
Prayers: For our students to continue to grow and mature in the Lord. We have a few 8th grade students struggling in school and at home—please pray they submit to the Lord’s discipline. For health concerns—Mr. Steve, Mary & Jake Myers, Catherine Hall, the Bracewell Family, Jeff & Karen Allen.
In His Service,
Justin & Shannon Tellez
