ICPE Mission NZ had an opportunity to share about Jesus to the children of St. Brendan's school on 6th May 2016. The participants were students of Year 7 and 8 and the theme for the day was 'Identity' and 'Leadership'. We were given the whole morning and it was divided into two sections. We started the first part with a game that linked to the teaching on the importance of listening to God.
The main point of this teaching was that God loves us and we are His beloved children. No matter who we are, what we do, what we have and what people say about us, we are children of God and He tells us 'He loves us always'. These truths were then emphasized during a time of praise and worship where we thanked God for His love towards each one of us. In this outreach, we introduced Eucharistic Adoration to the children. It was such a joy to see the children take this time of guided adoration seriously and participate in it fully.
After a short tea break, we gathered to begin the second section on leadership which again began with a game that aimed to help the children learn how to work as a team. The teams had various creative ideas; however, the main message was 'winning as a team'! In the teaching, the children heard what leadership is about and who is a real leader. The values from the games were incorporated into the teaching given which emphasized that leadership is for the common good and we are called to be a servant leader in the footsteps of Jesus. The children were then affirmed that each of them is called to be a leader in their own unique way, facilitated through a time of group discussion.
Though we are children of God, we are called to be leaders, it is such a privilege to say 'YES' to His invitation to share the Good News to His people and once again, we experienced how He works when we trust Him. We thank God for the opportunity to serve at St. Brendan's and we ask for your prayers for these precious lives.
