For our friends in Bakersfield, California, Easter can be an invigorating time of year. Cool, dry winter days lengthen into warm, bright days of spring. Produce crops are sown with optimism toward summer. Images of bunnies, pastel colors, and eggs overtake the marketplace. Children look forward to warmer weather and baskets filled with candy. But not every family can provide the treats that often accompany Easter for their children.
Nichole was one of those parents. Nichole and her children had attended Crown of Life, one of our partner churches, in the past, but had moved to a new community. Then, before Easter, the Lord brought them back to the neighborhood. As they were settling in, they had a visitor. LaVonne, from Crown of Life, welcomed them back to the neighborhood. She brought Easter Bags to each of Nichole's children. Using the Good News bead bracelet from the Easter Bag, LaVonne spoke separately with Cameron (8 years) and Linnea (7 years), helping them to understand what the gospel means.
That very day, Cameron and Linnea came to faith in Jesus and are attending a discipleship program at the church! Since then, LaVonne picks up the children and brings them to church, where they continue to be nurtured in their new faith.
For our urban church partners, Easter is a prime opportunity to use Easter Bags to bless families with the hope of the gospel, which, unlike candy and marshmallow confections, lasts forever! Every bag contains treats, crayons, and a toy, a colorful beaded bracelet that explains the plan of salvation, and the "Book of Hope," a Bible story-activity book designed for children of the inner city.
Because of your generosity to Cru® Inner City, we can provide Easter Bags to inner city churches. Then our partners connect with these beloved children and their families to bring the Good News of Jesus' Resurrection in their own lives!
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Kimberly Danneker serves as the Communications Specialist for Cru's inner-city ministry.
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