In December, we went to see the Healthy Youth Workers Miriam Maroszova and Karin Roikova to visit their programs for children. Both of them work in a specific area. They discuss Christian education with the children.
With Karin and Miriam, I visited schools in such area, where people still value programs dealing with basic Christian values. These are optional programs that parents explicitly sign their children up for. And it was a profound experience for me as well.
Karin talks about serious values with taste and pleasure.
Firstly, I joined Karin and visited her program for the first-graders and then the following Lego club. With Miriam I visited her program for preschool children and also a program for children in the first grade of elementary school. They both work very similarly. They introduce stories and values from the Bible to curious children in a fun way. As it was the time of upcoming Christmas, the programs naturally touched on the stories surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ.
The children were very receptive. It was clear from their responses that they understood the topics and also remember many of the previous lessons.
Both Karin and Miriam used visual aids, simple games and also sang spontaneously with the children during the programs. The children experience and hear a lot in one program.
And what the children didn’t have time to hear at school, they could still hear and experience with Karin at the Lego club, where we also went in the afternoon after school.
Miriam in a cordial conversation with the children after the program.
Both Karin and Miriam have been doing this work for more than 20 years. They both originally entered this ministry just “for time”, but that time proved to be their life’s calling. Schools continue to demand the programs, and many parents, though not professing faith themselves, want to give their children the opportunity to participate in the programs.
The Healthy Youth ministry in the North Moravia region is different from the way most Healthy Youth ministry workers operate. Without hesitation, the Board of Directors of the International Needs Foundation decided to support this unique form of work. We are pleased to be allowed to be part of this ministry.
Petr Horacek, the Executive Director of INCZ
