When I say Win a bus kid, I don't mean to lead them to the Lord as far as salvation is concerned; I am talking about keeping them in church through their teenage years and even through adulthood. The things I plan to share are things that I believe won me. They don't specifically apply to Black children; but I will address that for those of you who are in predominately White churches; but reach out to the Black community.
Tip #1
Remember that not every kid that that comes on the bus will serve God. Do your best to share with them about salvation; but realize that most of those kids we pick up today but we don't even know where to find them tomorrow.
Tip #2
Look for a child that seems really hungry for the Word of God and start praying specifically for them.
It really sends chills down my spine when I think that I might be the only person praying for that child and their family. Note: It is important to realize that praying for their family is vital as well. Several members of my family have been saved since I have been in church; to be honest it really all began with my Grandma. She was the first to attend Windsor Hills and commit her life to Christ. She gave our address to her bus captain, who gave it to the bus director, who gave it to the Jackson's, who visited us and invited my whole family to church.
Tip #3
Once you have selected a faithful child and have begun to faithfully pray for them; make sure they attend
at least two out of three services a week. This is VERY important. I don't know any serious Christian who ever did anything for God that only attended church once a week. I would add that I think it is important that the child ride to church in a car, rather than a bus, for at least one of the services. This gives the child (and their family) the opportunity to see faces other than those who work on the bus. In my situation, my mom became good friends with several people in our church. She knew that their was a whole host of folks who cared about me and my family other than just the bus workers. She often cooked for them on the holidays to show her appreciation for them transporting me and my siblings to church and caring for us.
To be continued....
Until next time,