School of Life  

Agape conducted its first School of Life ministry program this past January, and we are so excited to see how the Lord will grow and use this ministry approach to bring change, hope, and love to orphans.

Our School of Life program focuses on 9th and 11th graders, because both of these age groups are facing the end of their orphanage life and will be embarking on new journeys into the "real world" of technical training or institute education - both of which will move them to a dormitory living arrangement that can be very challenging.  

Its purpose  is to provide spiritual, emotional, and practical training in many areas of daily life and to equip  these young people with knowledge and experience necessary to live healthy, independent lives as young adults in their new dorms.

Our goals for this program are to enable these young adults to:

· Build strong relationships between teenagers in orphanages and Christian "mentors."

· Know God through learning the Bible and through prayer.

· Know how to live wisely with their time and money.

· Know how to relate to others in socially appropriate ways.

· Know how to serve and love others.

· Know their gifts and talents and learn how to develop them productively.

· Know how to pass these gifts onto their own children one day.

This past School of Life series consisted of eight consecutive Saturdays, from 8am until 8pm. We worked on the goals outlined above by engaging in a variety of planned activities.

For example, weekly Bible study and discussion was a key part of our attempt to introduce these students to Jesus, or strengthen their understanding of who God is and why they both need Him and can trust Him. 

We also spent time playing group games, focusing on money management and time management topics, along with some household maintenance and operations instruction.

Of course with a long day, we spent time both cooking and eating meals together, with everyone participating in the preparation or cleanup of mealtimes together. During free time, mentors and students spent time talking or playing one on one games.  Fantastic relationships were formed as a result of the weekly time spent with the same group of students that participated each week.

Our Agape Bible teacher participated in the School of Life with her students and commented at the end of this session about what a difference these weeks together have made in her relationship with these students. 

Before starting School of Life, the relationship was simply teacher/student - with little personal interaction. However, over the course of these weekly activities together, their relationship has deepened and become much more open and friendly even while at school. The ability to talk about issues and challenges these students face has increased dramatically as they now open up and trust their Bible teacher all the more after these Saturdays together. 

We hope that as we show these students that they are loved by God, through the love and care we demonstrate toward them in this program, that they too will surrender their hearts and lives to our Savior, Jesus Christ, that they will find healing and rest for their hearts, and that they will bear good fruit for the Kingdom of God as His Spirit lives in them and creates beauty from the traumatic pasts that many of them have endured.
Agape ministry team,
Kherson