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KiDs Beach Club® continues to make Jesus Cool at School!™  We celebrate incredible growth having 97 active clubs across seven states this school year.  The vision “to provide every 3^rd through 6^th grade boy and girl a Jesus experience within the culture of their public school” is gaining momentum.

This goal is achieved with the help of generous donations from many friends and ministry partners.  These contributions make it possible for the 7,500+ children enrolled to experience Jesus in the safety of their elementary school.  In the 2012 - 2013 school year, our church partners have witnessed 727 children make Jesus their “forever friend.”  Taking all the years of Beach Club into account, that number grows to almost 4,400. That is a lot of children coming to Christ!  That is what transforms the culture of our schools.

Jack Terrell, Founder and President of KiDs Beach Club®, is often asked, “Jack, do you really give children in a school cafeteria or gym the opportunity to trust Christ? … How?”  This note received from a Club Leader captures how it happens.

A few weeks ago Ron, one of our Surf Team leaders, called me over and said that Philip had a question.  Philip asked me, “How do you become a Christian?” Then Ron said, “Now, tell her the other part.” Philip continued, “We are Buddhist.” My heart was heavy for a moment.  I shared briefly how to become a Christian and explained that Buddhists believe something very different about Jesus.  I explained to him that we always have to honor and respect our parents, so he should talk to his mom about it too. I told him that his mom sends him to Beach Club knowing we teach from the Bible, so it’s likely that she is open to it.  We all joined hands and prayed for Philip to have the courage and words to talk to his mom. 

The following Monday Philip came up to me with a big smile and said, ”I found out that we are not Buddhist… we are Episcopalian!” I told him that I was proud of him for having a talk with his mom.  At the end of the lesson when I asked who wanted to follow Christ, Philip raised his hand and enthusiastically said, “I do!”

Every week, amazing and committed volunteers share the love and hope found only in Jesus Christ with thousands of children.  It is through the generosity of individuals and church partners that children, just like Philip, can experience the forgiveness of Jesus Christ.

If you would like to support KiDs Beach Club® in reaching more children in more schools you can do it today.  Click over to our giving page for online options or write to us at PO Box 635, Euless, Texas 76039.

Melanie Ekblad, Elementary Ministry Director at Brookhaven Church in McKinney, Texas shares with us how KiDs Beach Club® has infused their ministry.

“Beach Club has renewed a sense of our calling that we have as Christians to go to where the lost are.  In a school system that had never allowed a Christian group to meet, the Lord opened a door through Beach Club for us to minister to kids that otherwise might not hear the gospel. It amazes me that some children today don’t even know who God is and have never been exposed to His love and grace. Through Beach Club our church and volunteers have seen many lives changed, including their own watching the transformation of children’s lives.  In one semester of Beach Club we saw 23 kids give their lives to Christ. We have seen kids begin to desire to know the Lord; they are reading their bibles, attending Sunday services, going to camp and even leading friends to the Lord.  It’s amazing what the Lord will do if we are faithful to His call.  We thank the Lord for the blessings He has given us through Beach Club and letting us be a part of His work.”

Mike Ackerman has been involved with KiDs Beach Club® for several years.  Mike has served as the worship leader at Shady Oaks Elementary School since Beach Club was introduced there seven years ago.  Mike shares that he takes seriously his commitment to serve each week, but admits that sometimes when the kids get, well, lets say, a bit over-excited he finds himself asking, “Lord, why me?”  He found himself asking that question on more than one occasion, but never really getting an answer.  It certainly didn’t deter him from serving, but he really wondered “why?” sometimes. 

Approximately four years into pondering that question Mike heard God’s response loud and clear.  “He [God] said to me, ‘Kids need a positive male role model in their lives that will help lead them to Christ.’  I just sat there and said, wow!”  Sometimes working with kiddos full of energy can be overwhelming.  When we step back and see the big picture and remember the main reason why we do the things we do it makes even the challenging times worth it.  Mike has said that he’s sure he does plenty of things in life that are probably a waste of time, but KiDs Beach Club® is not one of them. 

A special Thank You goes out to Mike and all the volunteers who faithfully serve each week.  You are welcoming kiddos into a safe place and showing them the unconditional love of Jesus Christ.  You are making a difference!

In our recent workshop led by Robin Dembicki of Dallas Bible Church, we learned that there is hope for ministering to high-need children.  You know them, right? Perhaps they live in a single parent home, have ADD, experience emotional distress or have a parent who is addicted to alcohol or drugs. 

When we deal with children in our Beach Clubs who are facing such issues we must remember that behind every behavior is a circumstance.  As leaders, we “see actions and words, but what we don’t see are the thoughts behind the actions,” Robin shared.  It is our desire to go beyond the behavior of a child to the heart where true transformation begins. 

At Beach Club, “we are the voice of influence and the greatest thing we can do for these kids is to tell them that we believe in them,” Robin said as she shared with club volunteers from Arlington, Dallas and Caddo Mills, Texas.

Don’t forget that we too are high-need children. All of us are in need of His grace and forgiveness.  Robin encouraged us to love those kids, speak truth into their lives and to remember that every week should be a fresh start instead of a frazzled mess!

At the end of January, Jack Terrell, Founder and President of KiDs Beach Club_®, was in Orlando, Florida meeting with a new church partner, First Baptist Orlando. He also visited area schools in preparation for the launch of Beach Clubs in the Orange County Public Schools.

As Jack visited with Dr. Eric Cantrell, Principal of Pineloch Elementary, he learned that their school was really struggling with resources, as do many schools in urban settings. Dr. Cantrell shared that his teachers spend a large portion of their own money to buy much needed supplies for their students.  Along with leading children to Jesus, Jack has a strong desire to encourage teachers and school administrative staff.  These men and women pour their lives into our children day after day and KiDs Beach Club_® wants to support them in their efforts.  Jack’s heart was burdened then and there for Pineloch and he told Dr. Cantrell, with full faith and confidence in God, that KiDs Beach Club_® would help.  “I didn’t know how, when, or with what,” Jack thought to himself, but “I did know that I serve a big God and He would provide,” Jack said.  He left that meeting asking the Lord to show him how KBC could help.

Back in Texas, Jack got a call from Scott Sheppard, a friend in ministry from 6 Stones, asking him to run an errand with him to pick up what was supposed to be some extra backpacks from a community service event.  When they arrived at the Texas Rangers Youth Ballpark in Arlington, TX, there were actually racks full of school supplies. Jack knew right then that God was about to provide for Pineloch.  Jack asked Molly Lee, the community service representative, about all those supplies and to his delight she said they were free for the taking.  So they began loading box after box of crayons, pencils, notebooks, binders, glue, scissors, construction paper and more.  Four days later those supplies were sorted, re-boxed and palletized for shipping.  And to top things off, a financial gift was received at the same time with a memo stating to “use where most needed” for the exact amount of the shipping cost.  God was clearly at work putting together all the pieces to meet this need.

Pineloch was amazed and incredibly encouraged when they received the shipment. Valerie Plowdeniz, the school’s Guidance Counselor, called Jack and was overwhelmed with emotion. Ann Douglas, Curriculum Compliance Teacher at Pineloch, wrote in an email, “Thank you again. You are wonderful and your organization is going to reach, transform, and impact our kids for life. The teachers are ecstatic! Pineloch is truly thankful for your enormous contribution.” As the teachers went through the boxes they were overwhelmed with all the supplies and they enjoyed finding fun notes that Michelle Davidson, KBC’s National Leadership Development Manager, had slipped into each box. 

We count it a privilege to be used by God to come alongside teachers, administration and children at the elementary school level.  We are thankful for faithful supporters of KiDs Beach Club that partner with us “making Jesus Cool at School™.”

Click here to contact us about how to start your school or church in the process of doing a Beach Club.

The idea of reaching Beach Club families has been on my wife’s heart since we started doing a Beach Club at Stonegate Elementary in the Spring of 2004. We would often talk about the importance of connecting with these families but every time my wife, Michelle, would bring up the subject I always felt that we were too busy.

I had the privilege of speaking at a 6 Stones event at the school called “Night of Wonder” where I saw many of these Beach Club families hurting and in need of help. I told Michelle at that time I was on board with doing anything we could to help reach our neighbors.

Our church, First Baptist Church of Euless, was in the beginning stages of starting an outreach ministry called Community Groups. We thought this would be the perfect way for us to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our neighborhood. We decided to host a Community Group in our home and we called Keith and Becky Lewis to partner with us. Together were able to get the word out to all of the families who have children that attend the Beach Club at Stonegate Elementary. We met 3 weeks in a row and prayed together, asking the Lord to help us reach our community. After we would meet, we visited the homes of the Beach Club families giving them a small gift and inviting them to a Christmas party on Dec 16th. God blessed us with 12 families that evening; we ate, went caroling and told the Christmas story. At the end of the evening we presented the idea of starting a Community Group in our home that would meet every other Sunday starting on January 20th and invited them to join us.  

When January 20th rolled around we were thinking we were only going to have a few people actually show up but by the time we got started, there were 9 families, with 6 of those families not having a church home. God blessed us more than we could even imagine and we are eternally grateful for His favor on this group. Every family that came told us how much they appreciate what we do at their children’s school and for opening up our home to them. The Community Group continues to encourage us and we are so excited to see what God is going to do in and through us and our new friends.

My challenge to you is don’t be like I was and think that you are too busy to help those in need no matter what you are doing. Always be on the look out for ways that you can be the hands and feet of Jesus to your friends and neighbors. I believe that is what each one of us is called to do in this world.

May God Bless Your Day!

Russell Gregory

KBC Executive Director