Equipping the Littlest Kingdom-Bearers

by Julia K. May 14, 2019

Have you ever listened to a young child talk about their world? A child sees the world with wonder and anticipation. They grasp onto small details and celebrate both the new and the familiar. Their brains work like sponges soaking up new information. They can observe and enjoy the world with eagerness and freedom when they have someone willing to guide them.

Wide Open World, or WOW, is a ministry of Tenth that taps into this young eagerness and curiosity. Each Sunday evening during the summer, children are offered a guided tour as they explore their world on a global level. Children explore faraway countries through crafts, activities, songs, books, and biographies. WOW provides vehicles for children to travel to far off lands and learn about the cultural diversity of God’s people. Through a multi-sensory adventure, children are introduced to people and places different from what they already know.

Beyond teaching children about different countries and cultures, WOW stirs children to understand the world’s desperate need for God. Each year, WOW’s passport program serves as a way for children to engage with a global need. By completing certain tasks, such as praying for Tenth’s global partners, memorizing scripture, trying international food, doing crafts related to other countries, or reading missionary biographies, children can earn passport stamps. Each passport stamp is matched monetarily by members of the congregation to fund projects around the world. Through this program, Tenth’s children have earned thousands of dollars to help refugees, orphans, the sick, and poor. They helped buy an oven for orphans in Colombia, pews for an international church plant, coffee hour supplies for a refugee church in Greece, and much more.

WOW’s passport program encourages families to continue their learning and exploration during the week at home. In many cases, the entire family gets involved. One of my favorite memories of WOW as a child was having Tenth partners over for dinner. I loved listening to them tell my parents stories and talk about their experiences. I also enjoyed playing with their kids! WOW still serves as a strong bond between my family and Tenth’s partners.

Hosting Tenth’s global partners is one of WOW’s greatest privileges. Through pictures, stories, and prayer requests, children learn about the countries our partners serve in, the people they work with, and the needs they encounter. They also hear about the incredible power of the gospel to work in these situations. Children are encouraged to pray with and for our partners and consider how they can go and share the gospel too.

“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven’” (Matthew 19:14). WOW seeks to encourage and equip the littlest of Tenth’s kingdom-bearers by introducing them to the world so desperately in need of their Savior and telling them stories of his wonderous love and provision.

WOW begins on June 2. Contact Julia for more information at juliap@tenth.org.

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Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By Julia K.. © 2024 Tenth Presbyterian Church. Website: tenth.org