CADENCE CONNECTION » In this issue » FOCUS ON MILITARY CHILDREN: Stories from Ministry, Prayer Requests for Military Children, and a Tribute to Ten Years of Ministry with CEF Cadence International ® PO Box 1268 Englewood CO 80150 Return Service Requested CADENCE CONNECTION Volume 2, Issue 7 Please email or call us with any feedback. Sharing the gospel and our lives with the military community Cadence International® PO Box 1268 • Englewood, CO 80150 p: 303.762.1400 • f: 303.788.0661 [email protected] • www.cadence.org Dear Friend of Cadence, I can think of few topics more important than that of reaching our military children with the love of Christ. As you will read in the enclosed articles, our grade school-aged children whose parents serve in the United States military are a very special, unique, and wonderful group of kids. As a father of four children, I understand the heart of Psalm 103:13, “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.” When God wanted to communicate to us the depth and breadth of His fatherly compassion and love for us, His children, He used the example of the heart of an earthly father for his children. I know well the experience of watching one of my children as they play or sleep or do some activity and having my heart squeezed with such overwhelming love that there are simply no words to describe it. This is, only in perfect form, God’s love for His children—and, I believe, God’s special heart for the children of the world. There is nothing more precious and vulnerable than the heart of a child. And there is, perhaps, nothing more amazing than the heart and life of a military child. When I see military children and know the sacrifice they make on behalf of our lives and freedoms—well, I just feel so grateful and so much compassion. I pray as you read these articles God will stir your heart with compassion to give and pray for the almost one million military children scattered on military installations all around the globe. Will you also pray for God’s continued blessing on Cadence International's ministry to military children? On behalf of our military kids, David Schroeder President, Cadence International “ W e loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.” I essalonians 2:8 Focus on Children in Military Communities David & Joyce Schroeder Please use these prayer points to direct your prayers for military children and Cadence ministry across the world. Would you set aside a week and dedicate each day to praying specifically for these precious kids? Day 1: Pray for the military families over the holidays. Espe- cially remember the children who are without one or both of their parents. Day 2: Pray for workers to join Cadence International in ministry to military children. Day 3: Praise God for the children who are responding to God’s message for them. Day 4: Pray that God will be reflected through the words and actions of the Aſter School Club workers through Child Evangelism Fellowship who are working among military communities. Day 5: Praise God that new children's ministries are begin- ning, as at Fort Bragg, and continue to pray that others will open over the coming year. Day 6: Pray that more people will partner through prayers, volunteering, or giving to the ministries that support mili- tary children. May we not forget their needs, their hearts, and their sacrifices along with their parents. Day 7: Please pray for Cadence children's ministry directors and missionaries specifically dedicated to children's ministry in military communities. your prayer guide FOR MILITARY CHILDREN
I can think of few topics more important than that of reaching our military children with the love of Christ. As you will read in the enclosed articles, our grade school-aged children whose parents serve in the United States military are a very special, unique, and wonderful group of kids.
As a father of four children, I understand the heart of Psalm 103:13, “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.” When God wanted to communicate to us the depth and breadth of His fatherly compassion and love for us, His children, He used the example of the heart of an earthly father for his children.
I know well the experience of watching one of my children as they play or sleep or do some activity and having my heart squeezed with such overwhelming love that there are simply no words to describe it. This is, only in perfect form, God’s love for His children—and, I believe, God’s special heart for the children of the world.
There is nothing more precious and vulnerable than the heart of a child. And there is, perhaps, nothing more amazing than the heart and life of a military child. When I see military children and know the sacrifice they make on behalf of our lives and freedoms—well, I just feel so grateful and so much compassion.
I pray as you read these articles God will stir your heart with compassion to give and pray for the almost one million military children scattered on military installations all around the globe. Will you also pray for God’s continued blessing on Cadence International's ministry to military children?
On behalf of our military kids,
David Schroeder President, Cadence International
“We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.” I Thessalonians 2:8
Focus on Children in Military Communities
David & Joyce Schroeder
Please use these prayer points to direct your prayers for military children and Cadence ministry across the world. Would you set aside a week and dedicate each day to praying specifically for these precious kids?
Day 1: Pray for the military families over the holidays. Espe-cially remember the children who are without one or both of their parents.
Day 2: Pray for workers to join Cadence International in ministry to military children.
Day 3: Praise God for the children who are responding to God’s message for them.
Day 4: Pray that God will be reflected through the words and actions of the After School Club workers through Child Evangelism Fellowship who are working among military communities.
Day 5: Praise God that new children's ministries are begin-ning, as at Fort Bragg, and continue to pray that others will open over the coming year.
Day 6: Pray that more people will partner through prayers, volunteering, or giving to the ministries that support mili-tary children. May we not forget their needs, their hearts, and their sacrifices along with their parents.
Day 7: Please pray for Cadence children's ministry directors and missionaries specifically dedicated to children's ministry in military communities.
your prayer guideFOR MILITARY CHILDREN
A SHORT TERM TRIP: CHILDREN'S MINISTRY ON FORT HOODby Kerm Carlberg,, Outreach Pastor of Northside Baptist Church, St. Petersburg, Florida
What a great experience our ministry team had this summer partnering with Military Children’s Ministry (MCM) at Fort Hood! When Cadence missionary and Executive Director of children's ministry, David Powell, approached us with the idea the previous year, it was a no brainer. Our short-term ministry trips are planned to visit, help, and encourage ministries that are supported from our church and this was a ministry in which we definitely wanted to be involved. Our orders were to hold a VBS for elementary age children at a base chapel in July. Our team was comprised of six teenagers and three adults, one of whom was an elementary school teacher. A prerequisite for our team was to volunteer and be involved in our own church’s VBS in June, pre-paring for our ministry in July. When we arrived in Austin, Texas, David and his daughter Johanna were there to meet us and drive with us to Killeen. We were escorted to the Fort Food Hospital-ity House and Retreat Center hosted by Ben and Doris Hyde, Cadence workers. We were greeted and treated very warmly and were able to use the house all week.
Through David Powell, Kenny and Joy Lowe, and U.S. Army Chaplain Ellington, our ministry went very smoothly. They as-sisted us with each request and went out of their way to make our week a great experience. Word spread throughout the base and God led children to the VBS each day. God’s Word was clearly taught and heard through every part of the VBS for the children who came from several different faiths. Our team came ready to love the children for the very brief time we were there.
Even though this was not one of our church’s usual international trips, there was a sense of being cross-cultural when our IDs were approved and we passed the gate to go on base. The families and individuals in our military live a different lifestyle than those outside the gates. Our team found a greater appreciation for the stresses and sacrifices that our military men and women make for us and their willingness to accept this lifestyle.
Our team was also affected by the op-portunities that are available to us in ministering to our military families and individuals. By accepting the invitation of MCM and working with their estab-lished relationships, we arrived prepared to minister and serve families with God’s grace.
DRAWING CHILDREN TO HIM by Anjanette Franklin, Military Children's Ministry Coordinator at Fort Bragg, North Carolina
“I have been praying for you,” replied a chaplain’s wife with tears in her eyes at our first introduction. I heard this senti-ment expressed repeatedly as others learned about Military Children’s Ministry. After twelve months of preparation and training I arrived at my final destination of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The families and children of Fort Bragg have waited much longer for this opportunity.
Fort Bragg has ten elementary and intermediate schools and an estimated 7,000-8,000 children under the age of 15. Our goal over the next two years is to establish Good News Clubs in all the elementary and intermediate schools on post, work alongside the chaplains to coordinate summer 5-day ministry, as well as Sunday morning children’s programs, and to train children’s workers.
October 11, 2010, was our first week of ministry. Over 186 children were ministered to through the children's program! One club alone had 75 kids in attendance and 20 more were registered. Praise God! What an exciting week! God has opened wide so many doors for this ministry at Fort Bragg. The harvest is ripe and enormous, but thankfully we serve a God that is not concerned or surprised by these vast numbers. Please pray for volunteers and workers to reach all these children!
This week several military moms came to me and shared their excitement that there was finally a children’s program available where kids could learn about God and grow in their knowledge of the Lord. One mom was astonished as she stood in the back of the gym where club was being held and asked, “You mean you can share the Bible and talk about God in a public school?” The day after club I was approached by a mom while running errands in the community who shared that her son had come home from club and emphatically stated that they needed “to go buy a Bible.” When she asked her son why, he shared that the only way he was going to learn about God was if he could read “God’s words.” Praise God for the childlike qualities of trust and open-ness to draw these children to Him!
Proverbs 21:31: “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord.” Please pray as we begin this battle for ministry and seek workers for this vast harvest. Please pray for the victory at Fort Bragg.
Serving Military Children:a picture of ministry
Training always has a goal of leading you to a changed behav-ior or new skill. While I was working in children's ministry at Fort Hood, three military teenagers from Fort Hood went to Christian Youth in Action in Dallas, Texas, and they were trained by Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) to conduct 5-Day Clubs. They returned to Fort Hood, and we held many weeks of these 5-Day Clubs for military children. They could not have imagined what would come of their training.
We had completed our third club and God had blessed. I was talking to the teens after one of the sessions and was telling them that I was blessed by the way they taught the memory verse.
“You taught God’s Word in such a way that tonight, while they are lying in their beds thinking about 5-Day Club, the Holy Spirit can draw them to God right there in their rooms, this very night. You did not just tell them stories or entertain them; you taught them how to have a relationship with God.”
- Georgene Bandara , Military Children's Ministry Coordinator for Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington
a picture of ministry
Serving Military Children:a child's heart changeda child's heart changedOne day I noticed a young 12-year-old boy, who was waiting for a ride home, raise his hand. I turned to him and said, “Sean, we are not in class now, you do not have to raise your hand to speak. Do you have a question?”
“Well, not exactly, I just wanted to tell you that last night, in my room, I told God that I wanted to be in His family. When my mom died, I went through a lot and have been thinking about God. I went and told my grandparents what I had done then asked if I could call Wisconsin to tell my friend.”
What a powerful testimony! This dear boy was only hours old in Christ and he immediately began to witness for his Savior.
Sean’s mother had been killed earlier that year, and he and his 7-year-old sister were in Texas for only a short time visiting his grandmother. I have talked with the grandmother since then, and she says that Sean is growing spiritually.
- Georgene Bandara , Military Children's Ministry Coordinator for Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington
Fort Bragg has ten elementary and intermediate schools and an estimated 7,000-8,000 chil-dren under the age of 15.
LET THE LITTLE CHILDREN COME TO ME
This Connection issue is dedicated to honoring God’s mighty work over the past ten years as Child Evangelism Fellowship® and Cadence International® have partnered together to reach military children. We celebrate this rich history and that many little ones have come to know Christ through staff, programs, and activities sponsored through this partnership.
Celebration of Military Children's Ministry
When the religious leaders saw the outrageous things he was doing, and heard all the children running and shouting through the Temple, "Hosanna to David's Son!" they were up in arms and took him to task. "Do you hear what these chil-dren are saying?" Jesus said, "Yes, I hear them. And haven't you read in God's Word, 'From the mouths of children and babies I'll furnish a place of praise'?"
