January 4 - Kids First

Forty years ago, Juan Amigo was sent to Andorra to work as a colporteur and to plant the first Adventist congregation in the nation. Today, this congregation places a special focus on the kids!

I have 8 sons who would soon
have to enlist in the army

and face serious Sabbath challenges.

To protect my sons, I moved here
as a literature evangelist.

Forty years ago,

Juan Amigo was sent to Andorra
to work as a colporter

and to plant the first Adventist
congregation in the nation.

Andorra is a speck on the map,
sandwiched between France and Spain.

It lies in the valleys
of a mountainous region

where millions of tourists come
for exciting sports activities every year.

This country was one
of the last unentered territories

of the Inter-European Division.

At that time, Juan and his family
were the only Adventists in the country.

Today, five of his sons remain in Andorra
and have leadership roles

in the only Adventist congregation there.

Our church is a bit different
than other countries.

Actually, in Andorra
there is no church registration.

We cannot exist as a church,

so we created ourselves as an association,

this is the way
we can operate in this country.

We are a small group.

We have 25 members,
of whom 14 are children.

For several years,

we did many evangelistic campaigns
without many results.

We decided to stop to pray
until God showed us

where we should focus our efforts.

Now, we are focusing our efforts
on our children and our children’s friends

and our friends too.

Putting kids first

has reshaped the style
and flow of this church’s worship.

On Friday evenings,

adult members meet
at the church for vespers

and study the Sabbath School
quarterly lesson ahead of schedule.

This allows extra time for the kids
during regular Sabbath morning activities.

The study is a great way
to enter the Sabbath day.

In church we are not
so used to put kids first.

We don’t give them
a place in front on stage,

for example, many times maybe...
only once a trimester.

We started focusing
on activities like Pathfinders…

for our kids,

that's actually, what every church does.

But we also created the space
Saturday morning for them

where they have a sermon for kids,
they have some activities for kids

and also for the grownups
so we can interact them and us

and we can learn from the kids,
and the kids can learn from us.

This week’s teacher
presents a message from the Bible.

She brings visual illustrations
and a kid-friendly sermon

that is also enjoyable for adults.

Afterward, the children break into classes
to study their quarterly lesson.

Then, the adults enjoy
a special message in the main hall.

Once a month,
a delicious potluck is served

with a lot of international
dishes and flavors.

This is a great opportunity

to grow relationships
and nourish the body.

The children of this church
are catered to in a special way.

They are put first because this group
wants them to take leadership

and ownership of church life.

They are the future of this congregation
and through them,

friends and parents are invited
to many fun activities.

Please pray for Adventist children
around the world

who will lead God’s church
in the coming days.

And thank you for your support
of the mission offering,

which helped start this church.