Vasanthi Clement, a solicitor and advocate at the High Court of Malaysia, left the Haggai Leader Experience in April of 2016 with two goals: to reach out to the young people of her region and to open a Bible school for children.“I had no idea how I was going to do the Bible school, though I was already with the children’s ministry, and I adore children,” says Vasanthi.
In the early months of 2017, this goal started to take shape. With the help of two local pastors, Vasanthi was able to begin classes at no cost.These generous pastors, pastor William and pastor Satthy, provided a room for the school and also donated two air-conditioning units and a projector.Through promoting the school, the introduction to SOTCH (School of Theology for Children) had a turnout of 25. By the first day of class, numbers went up to 34 children, and less than a month later, they had to create another session to accommodate the growing numbers.Through this platform, we have been actively engaging students to become front liners in sharing the Gospel. The students are encouraged to organize their own talent shows, worship and share the Gospel, and, through these activities, they are inspired to overcome their fear and are challenged to exploit their talents positively.Classes run from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays at the Abundant Life Centre, Kajang. Teaching is divided into three levels: elementary, intermediate, and advanced. To graduate, children must complete 26 months – a total of 56 classes.
SOTCH is controversial. Some people have criticized the initiative, saying the children may not understand what they’re being taught and ought to focus on excelling academically. Vasanthi responds by continuously interacting with the parents and expressing the need for the Word of God to be the foundation of the children’s lives.“We as Christians should start thinking ahead in enriching our children with the Word,” says Vasanthi, “so that they are able to face the world with this firm foundation.”Besides learning the Bible, the children are encouraged to think morally and develop their prayer lives. The mission is to “prepare the children in their faith life” and cultivate their ability to respond to the challenges they face.“I must say, with the inception of the school, God is doing mighty work among the children,” says Vasanthi. “We are witnessing enthusiastic children with a hunger to know God more.”Vasanthi is excited to see the school continue to develop and asks for prayers that more and more children would be transformed in the Word.At Haggai International, we believe that equipping and inspiring indigenous leaders results in exponential impact and sustainable momentum. Therefore, we select strategically positioned leaders, living in non-Western countries, who have a passion to serve Christ and bring others to Himself. We equip and inspire these men and women of influence to impact their communities and nations by demonstrating and presenting the Gospel in the arenas in which they work – business, government, medicine, education and ministry.We have seen it time and again that when we provide the place, the guidance, and the opportunity… God moves. He touches hearts, and they return home forever changed with an expanded vision to reach their nations for Christ.Haggai has equipped and inspired over 114,284 leaders in 188 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East during the last 49 years. Learn more about Haggai and how you can support their work here.On MissionFinder, we have over 1,000 ministries offering opportunities like this to serve at home and around the world. Does your church or organization need help organizing mission trips? Check out our partner site, MissionMinder.com. Their easy to use software will help you manage all the details for your short-term mission trips and team members online. Unlimited Trips. Unlimited team members. Easy online fundraising for your team members. Try it free for 30 days. Learn more here.
