An afterschool ministry that empowers local churches to wade outside of their four walls to teach Bible principles to public elementary students in their schools is launching a refreshing summer reading program this week. The too cool tool is designed to help parents continue routine summer education in this anything but normal year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hang 10, a high-energy, fun-filled 14-week program developed by KiDs Beach Club® (KBC) that instills character education in third to sixth graders employing God's Word and prayer, kicks off Memorial Day weekend on May 24. Thousands of students from 11 states and equipped with KBC Explorer's Study Bibles, are expected to participate from the safety of their homes. Parents and children alike can follow the daily lesson plans through Labor Day.
"The coronavirus crisis has made KBC even more important to the healthy return of our kids to a semblance of normalcy," said Jack Terrell, KiDs Beach Club® president and founder, explaining why the non-profit group began holding its afterschool program "calling kids to hang cool with God's Word 10 minutes each day all year round."
In addition, during this COVID-19 pandemic, Dave Crome, KBC vice president of marketing and communications said that counselors from Beach Club schools have contacted the corporate office in Bedford, Texas, to ensure the character education afterschool program will resume this fall to help student's transition back "to an environment that is sure to be new and confusing."
This summer's Hang 10 (#Hang10SRP) will walk kids through the Bible, using stories selected from each Bible book. The plan will provide daily Bible readings and additional "bonus" content designed to help kids dig deeper into the "truths of God's word in such a way that they listen, and the Holy Spirit moves," Terrell said.
Each eternal truth is integrated into the reading program, reinforced by biblical stories. Day One of the first week, for instance, begins with the valuable nugget that God keeps His promises. The story of Isaac found in Genesis 22 is used to support this lesson.
In 2003, Terrell received a challenge "to make Jesus cool in school." Emboldened by the Supreme Court ruling Good News Club v. Milford Middle School in 2001—which stated schools could not exclude Bible clubs from meeting on school grounds—he mobilized a team and began partnering with volunteers from local churches.
What began as a Treasure Island-themed children's Sunday worship service took further shape after Terrell read an influential book by Christian researcher George Barna, titled Transforming Children Into Spiritual Champions. "His book explains that if you want to shape a person's life—it is during the ages of 5 and 12 when lifelong habits, values, beliefs and attitudes are formed," said Terrell.
Today, more than 22,000 volunteers have invested in over 107,000 children in Beach Clubs all over the country—and more than 9,200 children have made a profession of faith.
Dr. Shawna DeLamar, principal of Motley Elementary School in Mesquite, Texas, who has been involved with KBC for three years, received her first Bible from a ministry like KBC.
"Sometimes our students have a lot on their plates and a lot going on at home, making it difficult for our students to make good decisions" said Dr. DeLamar. "I can't think of a better way to help them mature, self-regulate their behavior, learn good character, and make good choices--no matter their circumstances."
At the start of 2020, KiDs Beach Club® unveiled Envision2K25, an aggressive initiative to equip local churches to add hundreds of new Beach Clubs across the U.S. by 2025, to impact 100,000 students per week in more than 2,000 communities with the assistance of more than 25,000 dedicated volunteers.
For information about the Hang 10 Summer Reading Program (#Hang10SRP), visit kidsbeachclub.org.
Founded by Jack Terrell in 2006, KiDs Beach Club® is an innovative ministry established to mobilize the church to go outside its walls in order to take the message of Jesus Christ into the heart of the community. The ministry vision is to connect every third through sixth grader within the culture of their public school to Christ and to put Bibles in their hands.
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