A 14-Year Volunteer Looks Back
KiDs Beach Club® has been blessed with so many wonderful volunteers over the years. These volunteers impact young lives in ways that we at the corporate office rarely hear about. That’s why it was a special treat to sit down recently with Karen May and her husband, Mike. Karen and Mike have been supporters of KiDs Beach Club® since its inception and continue to support the ministry today. As a 14-year Bible Connection leader in Beach Club®, Karen shared some stories that have stuck with her over the years.
She couldn’t help but lead off with her greatest joy from serving in Beach Club®. “There’s no greater joy than leading kids to Christ. And it’s a soul joy. It’s something that doesn’t leave you. It’s the greatest joy that anyone, any human could know is someone coming to faith in Jesus Christ.”
“I was reminded of a story this morning,” she continued. “I can still see the little boy’s face. But he was waiting to receive a Bible. And he had been attending faithfully weekly, and the day that his name was called, he scurried up to the stage, and I handed him the Bible. Well, he grabbed the Bible, and he clutched it to his chest. And he kissed it. That says it all. That this little guy knew instinctively, ‘I love this. This is a treasure.’ It’s a privilege and joy to help them understand who Jesus is and how much he loves them.”
When the topic of how KiDs Beach Club® can have an impact not only on the child attending but their family as well, Karen remembered one particular mother who would occasionally stay at club to see what was being done and said. “She was just trying to take it in. And then she was hearing everything that her daughter was hearing. And she wanted to be a part of it. That’s just one example of the spillage, the overflow. He came to give life, and he came to give it abundantly, bubbling over, for all of us. That hope was translating to their family which was a beautiful thing.”
We all have this core need deep inside that causes us to look for Christ, and Karen shared how it is no different for kids in Beach Club®. “Think of their core need, which is our core need, which is, ‘am I loved?’ They just want to know. That’s the deep question, the deep pondering. They may not be able to articulate that, but if they know, if they learn ‘I am loved by the Creator of the universe. He actually made me. He likes me. He wants me.’ That’s life changing.”
KBC volunteers are the boots on the ground for the generational impact that is happening through KiDs Beach Club®. That’s why we’re thankful for all of the volunteers, like Karen May, who have served over the years and for the 1065 volunteers serving this year alone in our nearly 100 clubs in 8 states around the United States.
To learn more about volunteering at KiDs BeachClub®, please visit our volunteering page.
Published on Nov 09 @ 2:37 PM CDT
