(EDITOR’S NOTE – Saturday, Sept. 16, is Children’s Missions Day in the Southern Baptist Convention.)

In New Cumberland, Pa., Red Land Baptist Church youngsters in the first through sixth grades made cards, wrote notes and prayed for the homeless people in Philadelphia who would be receiving the cards.  

Boys and girls at Transformation Church in Waterford, Mich., stuffed teddy bears to give to a local preschool class. They also made “goody bags” to give to teachers at the school the church partners with.

RA (Royal Ambassadors) boys and GA (Girls in Action) girls from at least three churches in the Kern County Southern Baptist Association in California – and all RA and GA youngsters statewide are invited – anticipate attending Missions Camp Sept. 16-17.

All these activities have something in common. Saturday, Sept. 16, is the day on the SBC calendar for churches across the nation to participate in Children’s Missions Day, by getting their youngsters involved in serving others as they tell them about Jesus.

The WMU-sponsored event started in 2008 “to help children become aware of ministry needs in their own communities and to collectively meet those needs by sharing Jesus’ love through word and deed,” Sandy Wisdom-Martin told Baptist Press. Wisdom-Martin is the executive director of the Woman’s Missionary Union.

“As WMU, we believe missions is the work of God through the church by which the Gospel of Jesus Christ is extended in word and deed to all people in the world,” the WMU leader explained. “Missions involves going and sending to cross bridges, barriers and frontiers in obedience to the Great Commission. It relates to people who are outside of the church or not believers.”

Martin simplifies her explanation of “missions” when she speaks with children, she said.

“I say, ‘Missions is working together to tell others about Jesus.’ Then I can go on to explain we can tell our neighbors, friends and others in our community about Jesus. For those who do not live near us, we pray and give money so they have an opportunity to hear Jesus as well.”

Across the nation, Childrens Missions Day might include baking cookies and taking them to police, firefighters, EMTs or school staff; visiting with residents or perhaps singing as a children’s choir at a nursing home; making sandwiches and taking them to a local park to give to people who otherwise wouldn’t have a lunch to eat; taking candy to share with classmates, and more.

The purpose of Children’s Missions Day is to provide an opportunity for the child to say with words and deeds, “Jesus loves me, and He loves you too,” leaders said.

“My goal for CMD is to guide the kids to see that there are many ways to share God’s love and there are many people in our own community who need to hear about and feel His love,” Becky Swain told Baptist Press. She is children’s ministry director at Transformation Church in Waterford, Mich. “Sometimes kids tend to be a bit self-centered, as do adults, so CMD is an opportunity for them to care about the needs of others.”

Theresa Kreig, pastor’s wife and missions leader at Red Land Baptist Church in New Cumberland, Pa., spoke of the effect of Children’s Missions Day on the youngsters she leads.

“You should have heard these children as they prayed over the cards” they made for the homeless in Philadelphia, Krieg told Baptist Press. “I just felt like it was the first opportunity to show concern for someone not themselves. I told them, ‘Your card might help them have a good day and think about God.’”

In California, Missions Camp is to include “missionary speakers, missions-focused activities, missions projects, discipleship activities, and of course many traditional camp activities like night games, water balloon wars and campfires,” Sandra Hughes told Baptist Press. She is the children’s ministry consultant for California WMU.

“Children will get a chance to interact with IMB missionaries, and be challenged to live their lives on mission,” Hughes said. “Our goal is to create a fun and exciting missions camp that will raise up a new generation of missional leaders in California.”

Swain of Michigan has been involved with Children’s Missions Day for 11 years. In addition to a variety of missions projects throughout the year, missionary speakers routinely tell the youngsters stories of their experiences, “so the kids can learn a more global perspective,” Swain said.

“I believe that it’s never too early for our kids to start learning about and doing missions,” Swain said. “I love to see their passion as they serve others and to hear them share about their joy in loving others.”

Red Land Baptist Church “is very missions-minded,” Kreig said. Every Sunday during the children’s service, time is given to a missions project or a missions speaker. In August, youngsters collected school supplies to give a kindergarten teacher for her students.

“The more you teach them about missions and the longer you teach them, the more they retain,” Kreig said. “The more you provide them with opportunities to do missions, that increases the possibility in the future of hearing God’s call to missions.

“It is my desire,” Kreig continued, “that every parent and child know that God loves them and has a plan for them, and a part of that plan is serving Him on mission.”

Missions at a child’s level is personal for WMU’s executive director.

“My life was transformed as a child because leaders helped me engage personally in doing missions and telling others about Jesus,” Wisdom-Martin said. “Our desire [at WMU] is to see all ages energized, motivated and equipped for missions. Lives are changed as children see the impact of ministering to others through missions.”

(EDITOR’S NOTE – Karen L. Willoughby is a national correspondent for Baptist Press.)