It was four months of Bible studies, practical activities, and a lot of joy for the 15 students of the first class of the Novo Tempo Kids Bible Class in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. The target audience was children 8–12 years old, who could participate in the study, coined "A trip through the Bible."
According to Márcia Gomes, the 51-year-old Children's Ministry coordinator for the Adventist Church in Avenida das Torres, the idea had been in the drawer since the pandemic and was taking shape after the adult Bible classes started in the church. "I saw people being baptized through the Bible classes, and the children who came with their parents to these classes said they wanted to be baptized. I just said, ‘To be baptized, you need to study,’ until one of them told me, ‘So I want to study, Auntie,’ and that's when God touched my heart," remembers the director.
To make a different project and not be tiring for the children, a prayer group was formed by the Children's Ministry team. An educator was the one who developed the way of presenting the lessons. "We did a play in which they were the people of Israel who received the Ten Commandments; we used videos, readings, and a lot of creativity so that they would understand," says Gomes.
The result could not be different. Ana Julia Formoso, age 11, went with her parents every Sunday early, before the service, so they could participate in the adult Bible class. Formoso then began to study and was one of the first to decide on baptism. "I saw my parents' joy at home studying the Bible, then when they were baptized. I wanted to, too. I am very happy because I am going to be baptized, too," says the student.
Besides Formoso, five other girls also said "Yes" to Jesus through baptism. Cecília Silva, 11, also accompanied her mother in church and longed for this special moment. "Ever since my mom started reading the Bible with me and telling me the stories and miracles of Jesus, I have wanted to be baptized—ever since I was a little girl. Then, when I started to study in class, my aunt said that now I could be baptized, so now I'm going to make my dream come true," says the little girl.
Each of the students in the Bible class had an individual entrance, a certificate, and a beautiful special trophy created exclusively for the first New Time Bible School kids class. According to Pastor Leandro Machado, the school coordinator for the states of Amazonas and Roraima, it is a great joy to celebrate this achievement with the little students. "The Bible classes have been growing in our region, but with children and teenagers, this work is more difficult because it is a public that needs to develop creativity to arouse attention and, mainly, keep them interested during the study process," details the coordinator.
Pioneerism
According to the Amazonas Roraima Association's follow-ups, this is the first class of children from the Novo Tempo Bible School that manages to finish the study and graduate students. "We are very happy with this achievement. We have been investing a lot in the new generation in our region, and without a doubt, this class is part of history, being the first class officially graduated. We praise God for the life of each one of them and for the team that worked hard to accomplish the work," says Pastor Machado.
This is the fourth Bible Study Class of the Torres Avenue Church (the first three being for adults). Now the team is working to put together the next class for little ones.
The original version of this story was published on the South American Division Portuguese-language news site.