Teams from local churches spend a week giving out books at schools and inviting students to evangelistic services the next weekend at churches, city parks and stadiums. Children bring their parents, and about 90 percent of those who come are not Christians, he said. Local pastors preach at the services and integrate converts into their churches. About 115,000 people became Christians through this kind of outreach in Lima, Peru, this summer, he said. Four teams from the United States worked with eight local churches to reach schools in various parts of the city.
Some children also give out the books to other children.
Children have the ability to minister to people but seldom get the opportunity, Smelser said. They have so much to give and they have such a passion. Giving children experience in ministry helps them develop a desire to do more ministry, she said. We want them to grow up to be ministers, but we never give them an opportunity to practice it. It's the same as if we told them they could be a great piano player and told them to study great pianists and listen to great music, but never showed them how to sit down and play.