When God Called Dorcas to Do Something Big

Eleven-year-old Dorcas from Papua New Guinea attended children’s Bible camp in a town almost two hours from her home. She loved the crafts and the Bible stories she learned. And she loved memorizing the Bible texts that the leaders challenged the children to learn. Toward the end of camp Dorcas had an idea.

As soon as she returned home to her village, she asked her father to make some copies of Bible verses to share with friends at school.

When school started again, Dorcas shared her verses with two of her best friends. The girls accepted the cards, which were nicely decorated, and agreed to learn the Bible texts together. But when they met the next day, the girls had a surprise for Dorcas.

Unexpected Surprise

The next morning Dorcas’ friends met her on the playground. But instead of just two girls, 10 children met Dorcas during recess! They all wanted Bible verse cards and they all agreed to memorize the Bible texts. Dorcas gave each child a card and invited them to come back the next day to practice the verses. Every day more children came to Dorcas during morning recess to say their Bible verse and get another card. Within two weeks 20 children were learning Bible verses during school recess!

Dorcas’ Bible Club

Dorcas told her mother how many children were coming to her group, and Mother suggested that the children meet under the family’s house, where it was cool and dry. (Houses in parts of Papua New Guinea often are built on stilts to catch the breeze. It was a perfect place for a meeting.)

Dorcas invited her friends to come to her house on Wednesday and Friday evenings. All 20 friends came, and they invited more friends. Dorcas and her mother planned a program for the children. They sang songs, Dorcas told a Bible story, and they did crafts. The group kept growing. Soon 100 children, and some parents, were coming to Dorcas’ house for Bible studies. On Sabbath 50 or so came for worship.

A New Church

One day Dorcas learned that several adults had given their hearts to Jesus and wanted to be baptized. Dorcas let God lead her, and a whole new church was planted in her village. Recently, when the grown-ups were baptized, Dorcas was too.

We can do big things for God if we follow the ideas He gives us. Imagine starting a whole church with just a few Bible verses written on cards!

(This story was first printed In KidsView, March 2009.)

Bible Treasure

And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!”
(Romans 10:15, NIV).

It’s Your Turn!

You don’t have to be grown up to do important work for God. The fact that you are young may make your work even more effective. So what can you do? Take Dorcas’ example and think outside the box, and go one step further by telling us about it.

E-mail your witnessing ideas to kidsview@adventistreview.org. We’d love to print them in an upcoming issue to give other kids wonderful ideas they can try themselves!