I looked into a child’s eyes, handed him a  Deep Blue Kids Bible, full of pictures and sidebars with commentary and questions relevant for children, and told him about the special passage I had marked for him.  Surely the presence of God is in this place.

On Sunday, I had the privilege to gift Bibles to children ages three to 13.

• Story Bibles with great pictures, large print, and questions for parents and children to ponder.
• Deep Blue Kids Bible for older children where there are sidebars with commentary and questions relevant to children.
• Student Bibles for the adolescents.

I wrote each child’s name in the Bible and put the ribbon bookmark in a page I thought might interest the child/youth.

On Sunday in front of the whole congregation, I made eye contact with each student and told him/her about the passage I chose as they were given their Bible.

Many commented after the service about how wonderful it was to watch the children receive Bibles from a pastor who has known and loved them (and sometimes their grandparents) for over a decade.

What a joy to link Bibles with great pictures and questions to children and youth who share their joy, questions, and concerns in this community of faith.

Later, I received news that some of the children were engrossed in reading their new Bibles.  Others took their Bibles to school to show.

Children are ministers and disciples.   And not infrequently they minister to the clergy, to the adults, and to the community.