Evening Schools — Current and Future
Written by Sharon Williams — Evening Schools Project Manager
I step out of the van onto a sandy village street in what feels like the middle of nowhere. Darkness has fallen, and a few lights glow in the windows of the nearby homes. The village is quiet.
The rest of the group piles out of the van. As we walk down a street, I hear it before I see it: the joyous sounds of children singing and clapping their hands. Then I see the church—bright on the outside and inside.
We leave our shoes at the door and walk into the church as quietly as we can, trying not to disturb the program going on in this makeshift classroom. The Evening School staff hasten to find enough chairs for us to sit on.
As we sit, the children finish singing and quietly sit down on mats on the floors—girls on one side, boys on the other.
Evening School students listen to a Bible story.
Time to eat!
The children enjoy the healthy food they get every day at the Evening School.
The local Bible Worker takes his place at the front of the class and asks a question. A child pops to her feet and begins to answer. Our translator leans over and whispers that the girl is reciting a Bible verse. The Bible Worker then tells a Bible story, and the children listen with rapt attention.
The lessons are now over, and it’s time to eat. The children eagerly push their papers and backpacks to the wall and line up sitting on the floor facing each other. Soon, the Evening School staff bring out huge pans of rice and vegetables, weaving their way through the room to place the food on the waiting plates.
The children eat heartily, thoroughly enjoying the food. For some, this has been the only meal they have had that day. For others, who haven’t eaten since their meager breakfast, this meal is warm and satisfying.
After the meal, each child washes his/her own plate and cup. And then the joyful mayhem begins. Our group is surrounded by enthusiastic, smiling children trying to get our attention. Some yell, “Selfie!” and we oblige by taking out our phones and posing with the children for photos. They see the photo, laugh and giggle, and head to another group member to repeat the experience.
Finally, the parents are waiting outside take their children home. Slowly, the children leave, waving goodbye. As they walk down the road with their parents, they chat happily about their evening. The stories they heard and the lessons learned are repeated to their families, friends, and neighbors.
A student recites a memory verse.
This experience has been repeated at every Evening School I have visited. Evening Schools are making a difference in the lives of the children who attend, in their families, and in their villages, including the staff who come every night to help. We have found that the students who do well in the Evening Schools also do well in public school. Then, when they graduate, they get better jobs and become agents of change for themselves and their families.
The Evening Schools open doors in communities previously closed to the Gospel. Once families see the generosity of the church and how the childrens’ lives are changing for the better, they are open to hearing about Jesus. Many then accept Jesus as their Savior.
This model works, and our vision is to open a new Evening School in every church:
That is rebuilt and reopened. A great way to establish a new congregation is to make the newly reopened church central to village life. Friendships are made through the Evening School connections six nights a week, and this draws people to the church on Sabbath.
Where mission teams conduct evangelism. After a mission team leaves a successful evangelism campaign, having an Evening School at the church provides incentive for people to stay connected with the church.
That opens a Stitches of Change Sewing School. Many of the women who train at a Stitches of Change Sewing School to learn a profitable skill have children who need to be looked after. An Evening School gives the women peace of mind that their children are safely occupied while they are in class.
In countries beyond India. We have seen the success of Evening Schools in India, and we want to replicate this success in other countries. Our first expansion will be in Cambodia. We will then expand wherever God opens the door.
I invite you to join us in praying for our Evening School program. To successfully run an Evening School, we need a Bible Worker, a teacher, and a cook. We need funds for their salaries, as well as food for the meals and supplies for learning. We believe that God is more than capable of supplying all that we need to fund this vision.
Evening Schools are incredibly cost-effective witnessing tools. For just $9 a month (less than the average price for one pizza) you can help a child (in India) be able to attend an Evening School for free.
You can also become an Evening School partner (an online recurring donation of $50 or more per month) and receive special updates, stories and pictures.
If you feel God is leading you to be a part of the answer to our prayers, or if you’d like to learn more about this project, please click the button below.