Not like cats....like kitty cats.....but 'CATS......as in WILDCATS for Christ.

A couple of years ago Nathan and I were discussing things about God and school and friends......and this conversation turned to worry on Nathan's part that maybe most of his friends at school weren't christians because he didn't see them at his church and wasn't sure what they all even thought of church. I explained to him that the town we live in is very centrally located and that a lot of people we live near and go to school with probably do go to church....but we all just go to different churches. This led to more questions about why there are so many different churches and a bunch of la-dah-ta-dah-ta-dah......another topic for another day............but what this ultimately led to was the idea for "Cats for Christ". And after-school club that is open to everyone in school and it doesn't matter where you go to church or if you go to church.

So the last 2 school years my kids have invited their friends over on Thursdays after school and we do all the fun youth-groupy-type of stuff....except it is in our house. And under-qualified-to-lead-anyone-me is in charge. We eat snacks, play games and I have even been known to do some crafts in spite of my craft-challenged-personality.......and we always have some sort of theme or link to a biblical truth somewhere in the middle of all of that.

It was cool that all of the kids could see that there were others that they went to school with every day did, in fact, believe in the same things, the same God, that they did.....even though they didn't do it in the same place on Sundays. As a mom.....my heart soared to witness the same thing.

What started out as a few friends meeting after school turned into a few friends with brothers and sisters and other friends who wanted to come (or maybe the parents wanted them to come)hang out too. My theory is that maybe other parents would like their kids to know the same thing.....even when you are in school.....you are not alone. It's easier to do the right thing when you have a friend to stand beside you.

As of now....I have had to divide the groups up because it was too hard to have kids from kindergarten to 6th graders in the same place and keep all of their attention at once. For example....the first week this month I had 2 girls and 5 boys all in kindergarten and first grade......this was FAR HARDER than the 11 second and third grade girls that came the next week. .We really just needed to break up in more age appropriate groups. This has been good and bad.

Good because on one thursday I can spend some time with the 5 and 6 (and some 7) year olds and do stuff that they get. The next week the second and third graders are over and we can talk and do stuff totally different. Today I had 4th graders and up through middle schoolers and this is the group that won't just play, eat, and listen......they are the ones that ask the questions. I like this group!


The bad part is that since I split them up......I can only meet with each group once a month.

In my mind's eye....I see the perfect community based "youth group" as a place where all kids can be welcomed each week....or even each day after school. There would be enough volunteers available to organize or oversee special activities, food, games, and even homework help if needed. It would be a place that was faith-based.....but still a setting that those who do not have or choose not to have any religious background at all would feel comfortable.

Anyways....I have rambled on here enough about this group and this dream of mine.

Am I the only one with crazy-unreachable dreams like this?

Labels: 'cats for christ