Ministry at Kids Haven

Background of ministry involvement

Benoni Baptist has been witnessing to the children at risk for many years now. We have maintained a good relationship with Kids Haven, a shelter that caters for street kids and all kids who are at risk either at home or in the community, or to themselves. Through outreaches conducted by the trained social workers in and around East Rand these children are found and brought to the center. Through prayer and dedication the church (BBC) has won the right to minister at the center and the center has since been our ministry base for evangelism to the lost and unreached youth.

BBC has assumed the responsibility of bringing some of the children into the church for spiritual growth and maturing. This has further enabled us to reach into these children’s lives through Bible studies at the center on Thursday evenings. A number of the children have assisted and accompanied the church on various short term mission trips and Summer Camps.

Evangelism

Through dedicated effort, much prayer and patience we are seeing revival and transformation happening at the center. God has been faithfully helping us see the need for aggressive evangelism. Friday evening youth meetings are seeing an increasing desire in the children to worship and praise God. Vibrant worship (with assistance of a good sound system) is followed by teaching from the Word.

Daily Involvement

During the day Kid’s Haven caters for 98 children (27 girls and 61 boys); teaching facilities enable formal schooling for illiterate children, as well as for those too far behind their school years and cannot fit in with the department of education’s age requirement per grade. The children that don’t go to school then fall into the educational programme during school hours called Bridging School. Kid’s Haven has four class rooms, a library with computers, a hall for sports and an art room for creative skills.

• Every morning from 7:30 – 8:00 am we have prayer meetings to encourage prayer as a lifestyle.
• Friday we have an Assembly at 14:00 pm which entails worship and preaching time.
• Monday to Friday we fit in with the teaching program. Our relationship with the center has allowed us to have Biblical studies as a subject - Religious Education.
• The children also have skills training such as bead work, cooking / baking, computer skill, sports and knitting. ( from 12:00 pm- 13:30)
• In June 2008 BBC facilitated a Holiday Bible Club at the center which will continue on a regular basis every school holiday, as a form of evangelism.
• Stories and parables - Jesus powerful form of teaching, is being effectively used, and with the help of the children we will be publishing a newspaper with articles written by them any topic – being written testimonies and easy to read biblical stories.
• Bible Study at Mckenzie Park another part of Kids Haven Houses on Fridays 15:00 -16:30 pm.
  

Future Revival Outreaches

• A replica of Summer Camp aimed at street kids where children from different shelters will meet in one campsite under the awesome power of the Spirit of God through different preachers and souls will be saved in one single meeting.
• Cafe Ministry where men will meet with boys for a cup of coffee in chilled session to relate to them as much needed spiritual fathers to young boys who are
  growing believers, to mentor and love and father them.
• Scrap booking for girls as a form of one–on–one opportunity to minister to girls who are very small in numbers at places of safety.