Jesus loves the little children—and so must we!

We know from the Word of God that Jesus places a high priority on children. When the disciples rebuked some parents who brought their children to Jesus for His touch, He said . . . Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these (Matthew 19:14). 

The faithful churches SGA serves take the Lord’s statement to heart, and they place high priority on reaching children with the Gospel. In our focus this month on the SGA-supported Orphans Reborn ministry, you can see the love our brothers and sisters have for these neediest of children, and how the children respond to Christ’s love as shown through His people. It isn’t just ministry to orphans, either. Sunday school ministry, summer camps, Christmas outreaches, mobile playgrounds, and sports activities are just a few of the ways the churches reach out to children and youth. It is a joy to see the impact over time as young lives are transformed through faith in Christ. 

Did you know that for churches in the former Soviet Union, the word “youth” can mean early young adulthood as well? It isn’t just adolescents and teenagers. Entering the world of young adulthood poses many challenges and new experiences, and the churches try to help them face their lives grounded in biblical truth. And that brings me full circle back to orphan ministry.

I don’t think anything gives us greater joy at SGA than seeing an orphan boy or girl coming to faith in Christ while in the orphanage, and then on reaching adulthood, joining with the Orphans Reborn teams you support to reach other orphans as they were reached. Their testimonies are deeply moving. Many of them have such heartbreaking stories of being in dysfunctional families where there was horrific abuse and neglect. Being removed from the custody of their parents, they find themselves as one among many in an orphanage, looking forward to only bleak futures. Then they meet believers from a local church who visit the orphanage, loving them, spending time with them, and serving as living examples of the hope found in Christ. And their lives are diverted from gloom into a future of hope, mercy, grace, and blessing. 

I hope and pray that you take joy—as I do—in the fruit of this ministry. You truly have a share in it all!

For our Savior,

Michael Johnson
President