Sophia’s Story

Last week I mentioned my son’s ministry, Crossroads for Kids. Please give me more liberty here, mixed with four parts grace, by allowing me to share another amazing story that marks the deep integrity and impact of Matt’s work. I have watched lives changed by this mission for over seventeen years now. This is not “hit and run” children’s (decisional) evangelism but Christ-centered, faithful, love-centered, life-changing mission. Sitting in a Crossroads context, and hearing and seeing stories like Sophia’s for myself, I have to say that as Matt’s dad I could not be more excited about the fruit that God is producing in the life of my own son and his vision for a nation-wide outreach to kids. On top of this my son (who is now 41 so he is not a young man any longer, which makes me an “old” man) brings the deepest delight to me. Nothing can compare. I believe, as well, that he delights his eternal Abba.

Someone said you cannot know the direction of your life until you have lived long enough to see it reproduced in your mature adult children. For those of you who are still pouring love and grace into your children every day do not stop. God will use your work for greater good in his time and way.

You can contact Crossroads at Matt’s website. I urge you, and your church, to start a Crossroads club. Your Sunday School, VBS or other children’s ministries cannot compare to the potential and fruitfulness of one solid, well-done Crossroads Club inside a public school. I am not saying this to boast (but allow me a boast in the Lord as the apostle put it) but the facts speak for themselves. (Watching Sophia’s story brought me to tears of profound joy!) If you do the work Matt can show you how to do then you will soon see fruit is borne, fruit that will truly last! It is a great thing that you educate your own Christian children but you will more deeply change their lives for the kingdom if you help them reach their peers with the gospel. I know almost no church that could not run a successful club if they really wanted to reach kids in their local public schools. It has been done by Catholic Churches and by all varieties of Protestant churches, including evangelical charismatic and mainline.