BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

This can be a challenge since there's a temptation in children's ministry to value efficiency and production above the daily, even minute-by-minute, leading of the Holy Spirit. With decades of experience, Commander Dana admits that it's easy to plan children's meetings months in advance. He's learned, though, that leaders must be willing to put their own plans—which are made with the best of intentions—aside for what the Lord wants to do in each moment, for how He wants to reach the children with a specific word. "Children's ministry is more than simply a break for parents or a way to keep children occupied," says Commander Dana. "Children's ministry can be life-changing. "Children belong to our heavenly Father. If we bear that in mind, it affects what we do for those kids, and how we prepare for those kids who only have minutes or hours with us." Asked her thoughts on the success Superkid Academy has experienced over the years, Commander Kellie says, "When I look at how far we've come, sometimes it's striking. Personally, I want to know that I have pleased the Lord with my life, and what I've been able to do for the kids, and I believe that I have. But there are times when I wonder, Could I have done more? Should I be further along? Then, I see all these kids who are now all grown up, and some of them even have kids of their own. And they come up to me and say how much I've impacted their lives, and that I helped them to find out what God wanted them to do with their lives. That's a really good feeling! "That's very significant because it tells me what we've been doing works. It tells me that, because these kids directed their attention to the Lord to find out who they were, they found that their place was in Him. And today, He is so powerful in their lives. This is not a theory. It's reality, and it works!" Through Superkid Academy, hundreds of thousands of kids have been reached with the message of God's love. So, what more is there to be done? "There's plenty more to do," says Commander Kellie, "because there are always more kids coming along. The kids around the world who are growing up as Superkids are growing up learning the Word of God. They're facing things that my kids could never have fathomed while growing up. We have to give our kids the proper tools to use as they grow and develop, and it's important that we get started with them when they're young. That way, the teaching becomes a natural progression for them, not something foreign that they have to try and remember." "It's better to raise up children in the Lord than to try and rescue them later," adds Commander Dana. "We don't have to know the exact call on their lives to equip them. Our job is to prepare them for God's purpose." For the past 35 years, Superkid Academy has had its finger on the pulse of the younger members of the Body of Christ. Today, it continues to play a major role in impacting the lives of children around the world—teaching them what it means to have a personal relationship with God, and how to experience the refreshing that comes from spending time in His presence. What better way to change the world than to win it one generation at a time? JUL/AUG/SEP 05 VOL. 12 NO. 3 B V O V : 1 7

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