IMPACT

Over spring break, I had the privilege of serving in rural New York with Project Rural ministries on an ICO trip. We visited many different churches and ministries in the area and learned from many local rural pastors. We were traveling around the Chautauqua, Jamestown, and Fredonia area. One ministry that I learned about is called IMPACT. Impact is a ministry that brings Jesus to the local public schools systems. Impact is many things but I witnessed it through a school program that would go on during lunch period and offer a safe place for kids to go and learn about the Lord during their day at public school. My favorite thing about IMPACT is that they make it work for kids of all ages. I helped out with the elementary school impact program. I’ve never seen people try to evangelize to such a young age group. There were about 40 kids that decided to come learn about Jesus during their day at school. Some of the kids were as little as kindergarten that were coming to learn. At impact, they offer the kids food, they show videos that teach about the bible and do crafts. Something that was really interesting to me was how much the students were paying attention. At the end of the video, they play a trivia about what they learned, and so many of the kids were engaged in the game and knew the answers from the video they just watched. Other team members on my ICO trip got to experience IMPACT at a local middle school and said it was an amazing experience. I think IMPACT is doing amazing work ministering to kids of ALL ages in the public school system by bringing the gospel to them just like how Jesus came and talked to the people where they were.