Little hands shoot up when Carol Gargus asks what God promised to Abraham.
“He promised to give him land,” someone says.
“To make his kids like the stars,” someone else says.
Then Gargus points to a big star in the picture she’s holding and asks, “What about this one?”
A little boy raises his hand and says, “That the Deliverer will come through him.”
As Gargus and other volunteers share the story with the group of first and second graders at Birmingham-area Chalkville Elementary School, the kids read along in a copy of The Jesus Storybook Bible.
Another volunteer, Richard Coggins — dressed as Abraham — brings the story to life as they discuss what they read and ask questions.
That’s what Discovery Clubs, an after-school program in 23 schools in the Birmingham Metro area, is all about, Gargus said — to share the redemptive story of Scripture with children who might have no other exposure to the gospel.
During the hourlong program, held once a week, kids learn Bible verses, hear Bible stories, sing songs and play games.
‘Crucial role’
This school year marks the 20th anniversary of Discovery Clubs, which became a ministry of Birmingham Metro Baptist Association in 2021.
Chris Crain, BMBA executive director, said the program is a “vital addition” to BMBA’s offerings to the community.
“These clubs play a crucial role in reaching children in our local schools, providing parents the opportunity to provide a biblical worldview for their children and enabling kids to hear about Jesus Christ and learn the gospel,” he said. “Moreover, they instill essential values, helping children become model students who live out Christian principles.”
Discovery Clubs also serves as a bridge to connect churches with local schools and administrators, Crain said. “This fosters a sense of community and collaboration, strengthening our impact on the next generation in the Birmingham Metro area.”
Gargus, who serves as ministry coordinator for Discovery Clubs, said the children who attend the clubs bring signed permission slips from their parents at the beginning of the year. This year, about 1,200 students are involved in the clubs across the 23 schools.
Around 100 of those students are at Chalkville Elementary.
Mike Bissell, the school’s principal, said he appreciates the clubs “providing another outlet for our kids in this community specifically with something else to be focused on rather than being a latchkey kid, which can head down some challenging pathways.”
He said he’s a “huge fan” of the program.
“When we make more opportunities available, kids that cling to those things tend to perform better in general, whether it’s socially or academically,” Bissell said.
Investing
Bobby Talmadge, who has volunteered with Discovery Clubs for more than 10 years, said he can also see the difference it makes in the children spiritually.
For him, it’s an amazing opportunity to invest in children’s lives and plant seeds of the gospel, and he said he would encourage anyone to think about volunteering.
“If you think about how many people you get to share Christ with each week, most people would probably say zero, but here guaranteed you’re able to share Christ with a roomful of kids,” said Talmadge, a member of CrossPoint Church in Trussville. “And most of these kids are not church kids; they’re just doing their own thing. So it’s a real opportunity.”
Gargus, who has been a part of the ministry since 2011, said the program is constantly in need of more volunteers. Their volunteer pool dwindled during the COVID-19 pandemic, and while it has grown since then, many of their faithful volunteers like Talmadge are serving at multiple schools during the week and could use more help.
She said Discovery Clubs provides all the curriculum, so “all you have to be able to do is read and speak and love Jesus.”
For more information, visit discoveryclubs.org.
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