The power of the gospel changes lives and brings nations into alignment with God’s purposes in the earth. Matthew 28:18 says,
‘Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’
This is what mission is all about.
Children are part of the Great Commission
Making disciples of children has the potential to save generations from a life of destruction. We hear Jesus’ heart for children in the scriptures when he said: ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these’ (Matt 19:14). It only takes a seed to grow in good soil for a return of a great harvest. When we sow seeds in the lives and hearts of the next generation through discipleship and Bible study, the potential of these seeds scattered around the world is greater than our finite minds can imagine.
When we sow seeds in the lives and hearts of the next generation through discipleship and Bible study, the potential of these seeds scattered around the world is greater than our finite minds can imagine.
Children today face dangers such as sexual exploitation, abuse, human trafficking, poverty and hunger.¹ Teen pregnancies are on the increase throughout the world, more so in poverty-stricken countries.2 There is a global cry for help.
We need partnership, participation and, more importantly, to make the restoration of the family and of marriage the cornerstone of our societies if we want to see a reduction in crime, violence, and the majority of social ills plaguing the world.
The Great Commission challenges the church to go into the world, even to the uttermost parts to teach, preach, baptize, and make disciples of all the nations. Children are included in this Commission. When we as disciples of Christ take this command to heart in obedience, we are stronger against the ideological, anti-family actors in the war on children.
Rise To Read
Pastor Gabrielle Beam is the senior pastor of Mary of Bethany Anglican Mission in Bridgeport, Connecticut. She and her husband Dr David Beam, together with their church and in partnership with over 100 churches and pastors, have been reaching out to the next generation of boys and girls and ultimately their parents and wider families in Bridgeport through their ‘Rise To Read’ program. This literacy program was birthed in prayer and now operates across the state of Connecticut.
In 2016, Mary of Bethany Anglican Mission began doing street outreaches. As part of this outreach, the church handed out thousands of Bibles to children on the street between 2016 and 2018. About 2,000–3,000 Bibles had been given out before they realized, to their shock, that the majority of children in Bridgeport were unable to read them.
‘My life took on a collision into a statistic that just rocked my world and that’s when I found out that 76 percent of the children in Bridgeport, which is the largest city in Connecticut and also the poorest, who attend public schools cannot pass a third grade reading literacy test,’ 3 Pastor Gabrielle says.
‘My life took on a collision into a statistic that just rocked my world and that’s when I found out that 76 percent of the children in Bridgeport, which is the largest city in Connecticut and also the poorest, who attend public schools cannot pass a third grade reading literacy test,’ 3
She realized how privileged and blessed her own children were to have the opportunity to attend private schools and world class universities, unlike the children of Bridgeport. Knowing deep down inside of her heart that the children were in big trouble, she discovered that the results of the third grade reading literacy test were used by the prison industry to determine how many prison cells would be needed as these children get older.
This rude awakening led her to find solitude on a mountain in California where she spent three days seeking God’s plan and mission in this regard, and from it Rise To Read was born.
Pastor Gabrielle, who is the founder and president of Rise To Read, and her husband, Dr David Beam, have an unwavering passion to see children from all walks of life thrive. She believes that every child in America regardless of race, gender, or socio-economic level, should be able to read fluently at grade level or above and be equipped with the necessary resources to reach their God-given potential. This outreach to the communities has become Gabrielle and David’s mission field.
With the help of a team of volunteers that include Connecticut certified teachers, community leaders, parents, guardians, and young adults, Rise To Read reaches out to children and families of Bridgeport from all walks of life, giving them renewed hope to pursue their dreams and create a more promising future. Because their program is rooted in the Bible, it offers the potential to end early childhood illiteracy, to interrupt the ‘school-to-prison pipeline’, thus breaking generational cycles of poverty and adversity, and to help cultivate a hope-filled, life-affirming culture for generations to come.
Pastor Gabrielle believes that when the church stands together in mission, there is hope. Every time she sees and experiences a light turning on for a child, she rejoices because the church can and is making a difference and is relevant in a broken society. The Rise To Read program is bearing fruit and they not only see hope but in the midst of darkness looming over communities, light is bursting forth.
Scripture as a Remedy to Illiteracy
The inability to read fills a life with ongoing shame. Young people are not successful in finding jobs because of their inability to fill out an application for a job. Their hope of excelling in high school is dim, let alone thinking about going to university.
The Rise To Read program employs a holistic approach for all learners. Using the Bible as their basic primer, they start to learn to read by reading and memorizing the Scriptures with understanding. For example, they learn to read Jeremiah 29 verse 11: ‘For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you an expected hope and a future.’ Psalm 139 verse 13: ‘For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. Verse 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.’
The program has led to life-changing success stories. Young men and women are now college graduates due to someone who took the time to teach them how to read from an early age. Not only do their reading abilities improve, but the Word of God also gets etched into their hearts. The entrance of the Word beams light for a great future and for sharing the gospel wherever these beautiful souls will find themselves in the world. The power of the gospel changes everything!
Endnotes
- United Nations World Day for the Prevention of and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Violence–18 November https://www.un.org/en/observances/child-sexual-exploitation-prevention-and-healing-day
- World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-pregnancy
- US News & World Report https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/connecticut/districts/bridgeport-school-district-103721