Gkidz Easter Comes Alive!

As the FCBC adults encountered God's miraculous touch over the Easter Miracle Weekend, the children also experienced their share of miracles.

Through the GKidz "Jerrusic Park" production, they were transported back to Jesus' time to catch a rare glimpse of the sights and sounds of olden Jerusalem life. More importantly, they witnessed a powerful experiential re-enactment of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection and understood in their young hearts the ultimate price God paid  - His one and only Son's life - to exchange for our eternal redemption.

Praise God, a record high of 1,711 children - of which 334 were first-time visitors - attended the event held at TOUCH Centre's 4th Floor Chapel on Saturday, 7 April, and in Expo Hall 9 on Easter Sunday, 8 April. By the end of the event, 149 children made the personal decision to receive Jesus into their hearts!

A visual extravaganza, to say the least, the event venue was dressed up to wow the young audiences from the start with its real-life depiction of the Jewish lifestyle dating from the biblical times. GKidz leaders and volunteers clad in Jewish garb to everyday objects and ornaments transformed the place into a convincing Jerusalem marketplace, bustling with life and activities. The children also had the opportunity of tasting some of the knick knacks sold in the marketplace such as dried apricots and raisins, and caught many an impromptu drama sketches staged by the roving buskers - who injected much life into the whole Jerusalem atmosphere.

It was games galore at the "Jerrusic Park" too, where intriguing brain teasers and physical challenges with biblical stories woven through them taught the children about Jesus' remarkable life and the many miracles He did which testified his sonship to God.

The event's climatic highlight was the interactive drama of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection that took place right before the children's eyes. It all started when the games were interrupted suddenly by a procession that re-enacted Jesus' painful journey to Calvary - where He walked and carried the mighty cross, taunted by the Roman soldiers with a following comprising of His disciples, His mother Mary and His devoted believer Mary Magdalene. As the procession cut through the crowds, the children were egged on to shout "Crucify Him!" at Jesus by some buskers and GKidz leaders - acting as the chief Jewish priests in the Bible who wanted Jesus dead.

Once the procession took to the stage area, also known as the "Miracle Land", the children were immediately engaged in a multi-sensory experience where both audio and visual effects were put in place to evoke strong emotions within them. Truly responding to the emotionally-charged drama, many of them shouted in unison a loud and resounding "No!" when the character "Satan" asked them to join him in hell. Daniel Wong, one of the GKidz volunteers, expressed his amazement over the well-presented drama, "I felt that it was very realistic, and I could see and feel the emotions. It felt like I was really present at the crucifixion of Jesus!"

Over at the Hokkien service on that Saturday night, the children joined by the GKidz Oakley Group - comprising of children from the Prison Ministry - also watched a condensed version of the Easter drama and played some of the fun-filled "Jerrusic Park" games.

After the drama, an altar call was made to the children where the anchoring leaders spoke to them about Jesus' victory over the evil one, and that they, too, could receive this victory in their lives. Another call was also specially made to the FCBC children who desired victories in their own areas of life such as in their studies or families. Indeed, many children were touched by the earlier drama and responded to the altar call with great conviction.

Cheong Pui Leng, one of the anchoring leaders who oversees the Timothy Club, exclaimed her joy over the children's positive responses, "I felt that this whole experiential journey brought the message of God's victories in a new and clear way. Because the children were already in the spirit of Jerusalem, and they were given the chance to participate in the drama and interact with the characters, therefore, when I gave the altar call, I found the children to be already engaged and responsive."

Also overjoyed with the success of the event, Dickson Teo, a Barnabas Club Group Leader and one of the Organising Committee Member enthused, "As a leader, I was amazed at how the environment is able to engage the children; it really brought me a glimpse into Jerusalem at Jesus' time. As a member of the organising committee, seeing the children and their friends enjoying the event, and being saved is truly a blessing. This event only happened with our Lord Jesus Christ!"

11-year-old Wesley Tan - from Dickson's group - was also left speechless with awe, literally giving a thumbs-up to the event when asked about how he felt after experiencing the "Jerrusic Park". Even the children's parents were impressed with the novelty and well-execution of the event. Shared Wendy Yiu, a GKidz parent of two children, "When I dropped off my children, I could sense that they were very excited as this was something new. I could see that it was very well done, with everyone all dressed up and the decorations all put up.  My children really had fun, as they loved the part where they could try the dried apricots and raisins. Although they might not be able to fully grasp the message behind the whole event, I feel it was still a good start for them."

All in all, the event was a huge hit with all who participated in it - from the children to their parents to the GKidz leaders and volunteers. Crediting the event's success to the strong volunteer support it received, Steve Foo, a Barnabas Club Group Leader, shared, "Given the fact that we had such a short runway, it really was a job well done. The drama brought out a new value, purpose and meaning of God's love. I felt that the buskers really brought us back to what was happening at the time of Jesus. It had also given me a new understanding of what Jesus went through."

Through it all, however, God - who had been with us every step of the way - was ultimately the one who granted us the victory.  Indeed, with the event, He showed us the truth of His words in 2 Corinthians 2:14, "But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him."

The thrills and delight of serving our young ones are endless! Volunteer with us as a GKidz Leader today and discover the tremendous joy of shaping them into young mighty warriors of God!

Learn more about our volunteers' experiences in our 'Barnabas Camp' story as well. For more info about volunteering with the GKidz Ministry, read about our FAQs.