Introduction

I am very excited to begin this blog. My hope is that all those who read this will be blessed and grow closer to the Lord. I have been through some little trials lately and have felt the need to connect with other believers but even more to share the Word of God with those who do not believe. I have been so blessed to have had Christian parents and have lived a sheltered life, however, I have also been very close to people who have not had the same experience. I have such a desire to let them know the Love of Jesus. Below is an article I wrote several years ago. My purpose in sharing it is a little different from when I first wrote it but the message is the same.  It was originally written as a challenge for my church denomination but have sense discovered from others comments that is for the Church which God has established and for all believers so I made a few edits and have it posted below. 

No Child Left Behind—A personal testimony and challenge
By Sheila Koop


It was a beautiful bright summer day in 1966, a six year old little girl, and her eight year old sister stared into the blue sky and began a discussion about Jesus. They had been taught, early on, that Jesus who died and rose from the grave, and forgave them of their sins, was in Heaven, somewhere beyond those blue skies, and they began to dream about seeing Him some day. Now, the eight year old bragged that she would see Jesus before her younger sister. If you are not the youngest in your family, you may not understand but the youngest dislikes being last all the time so the six year old informed her older sister that she, the youngest, would be the first to see Jesus. The eight year old tried to explain that she was older so she would see Him first but the little one would not believe this.

Shortly after that discussion the two sisters got on one bike and headed to the firecracker stand. They both knew how to ride a bike but for some reason the older sister decided to pump the younger one. They purchased their fireworks for the soon to be blast and headed home because their mother had told them supper was almost ready and to hurry back.  As events unraveled the two found themselves going down a sandy alley which was very hard to pedal through but the two laughed and greeted a neighbor as he worked in his backyard. At the end of the alley they found that they could not stop and their bicycle headed out into the street and was struck by an oncoming vehicle. The six-year old found herself on the curb in front of a red-bricked home, crying for her sister. Her older sister lay dead on the street after hitting the windshield of the car. She, now in glory, was in the presence of her Lord and Savior.

This vibrant life, full of love for the Heavenly Father, and one who touched many lives in her short time on earth, was my sister, Carol. I was the six year old girl on the curb calling out her name. I must say, I was a little upset with her because she got to see Jesus first. I don’t believe that previous conversation was an accident. I believe the Lord was preparing me for a life without her and a hope that I would see her again someday. It was also no mistake that our parents took us to Sunday school every Sunday morning.

Another life was changed that day, the life of a teenage boy who did not see us and was the one that hit us. The little I know about him is from my oldest sister who went to school with him. Although my parents made sure to go visit him and let him know that they did not blame him, he held on to the guilt of this accident and had nightmares for many years to come. He did not and as far as I know still doesn’t have the peace of Christ that surpasses all understanding. This is even more tragic than the death of a little girl, who knew Christ.

If it had not been for my faithful parents, who demonstrated their love for Christ everyday and who took us to church every time the doors were open, we would not have learned about a loving God who cares for His children and a place called Heaven. My parents did not stop taking me to church after the accident, rather, they showed me their faith by remaining faithful and taught me to always trust in the Lord through whatever life may bring. My sister and I learned at home, how to act right and to do good but at church we learned the stories of how God demonstrated His love to His people. I truly believe that we all need to have the experience of learning and growing with our peers. As an adult, we can love Christ, be a Christian, and never step out of our home. But, we learn more, love more, and grow more when we share His love with others and walk together in our Christian life. If you are a parent that does not see the need to take your children to Sunday school and church, I urge you to reconsider the impact it may have on your child’s life. If you are an adult that does not see the need to be in Sunday school, small group study or a worship service, I urge you to reconsider this decision. Scripture urges us in Hebrews 10:25, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

I learned that dreadful day that life is short. One minute we can be laughing and anticipating the future and in a blink of an eye that future changes forever. What are we doing in our churches to ensure that the future of our people will be one of delight whether here on earth or in the presence of our Lord? How are we teaching our children to seek His face or to even know that He exists? How are we teaching our adults to hold on to their faith in the midst of trials? How are we teaching the teenagers to trust in the Lord even in times of turmoil and strife?

There is, and always will be a need to focus on, in depth teaching of the gospel. In Sunday school and small groups, we have the opportunity to be fed what we need in order to grow in Christ. Children and babes in Christ may need milk while more mature Christians are on solid food but we are all the same, we need to be fed. Let’s not be like the Jewish Christians in Hebrews who should have been teaching but were still needing to learn “the elementary truths of God’s word” (Hebrews 5:12). In the worship service, the pastor is required to preach to a congregation with varying spiritual needs. If I would have spent my first years of life, sitting in the pew, counting the tiles on the ceiling (which I did often), I would not have heard the gospel in my church, even though it was being preached. I was privileged, along with my sister, to sing many songs about the love of Christ, letting my light shine, and building my house on the rock, then hearing the stories about His love in Sunday school. At home we had a loving family that put the words we were taught in Sunday school into practice. Carol did not accept Christ at church, she accepted Him at home in her bedroom. This does not negate the fact that her church experience had a huge impact on that decision. These experiences, guided by the Holy Spirit, gave her the ability to share Jesus’ love with many others in her school. She was not bashful and could share with anyone; I on the other hand, liked her to do the talking for me.

Many of you have heard the term, “No Child Left Behind”, some of you may agree with this philosophy while others of you shake your head at the concept of everyone scoring proficient on state standards. Well, I propose that we adopt the same philosophy for our churches, let’s make sure, through the ability that the Holy Spirit affords us, that no child of God be left behind but that we bring them in and teach them of the love and forgiveness of Christ our Lord. It is my hope, that the experience of my life will encourage you and your church to hold yourselves accountable to growing deeper in love with Him and sharing that love with others.  As you look at ways to do this effectively, I would urge you to share your tactics with fellow believers so that His love will spread throughout all of the Church.

May God bless each and every one of you who serve Him with gladness.

In Christ,
Sheila Koop
sheilakoop@gmail.com


Sheila is a graduate of Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA with a B.S. in Psychology. She received her M.S. degree in Education from the University of Kansas and Building Administration Certification from Fort Hays State University.  She is a member of the Ulysses Mennonite Brethren Church, Ulysses, KS where she has served with her husband as a deacon couple. She has also been involved extensively in the Sunday school and Mid-week children programs at the church. At the time this article was written she was serving as the Christian Education Commission chair of the Southern District Conference of Mennonite Brethren.

I will try to post daily and would encourage interaction in this study as we seek to know Him who created us and who we are called according to His purpose. I pray this will be a blessing to all who read and/or participate in the discussions as I know it will be a blessing to me.

Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila