THE YOUNGEST EVANGELIST SPEAKS OUT
GOD IS USING LITTLE ONES TO DO GREAT THINGS WHEN WE ENCOURAGE THEM
BY JESSICA OSBORN, AGE 11

Jessica Osborn is a member of New Community Fellowship, a cell church in Virginia Beach, VA. As a homeschooler, she loves to play hockey and is involved in gymnastics. She occupies her free time with friends and likes sleep-overs. Oh yes, she asked us to remind you that she loves her youth cell!

My father pastors a cell church and I had some Christian friends at Church but I didn’t have any Christian friends to hang out with in my own neighborhood. I wanted to start a youth cell in my neighborhood so my friends could get saved.

I asked my mom and dad if we could start a youth cell in our home. I hoped and prayed that they would say “yes.” They said they would pray about it, and a couple of days later they said that I could.

First, we had to decide on what day we would have the cell meeting. We decided on Tuesday nights, because Monday is my father’s leadership night and our family cell is on Wednesday nights, and on Friday my father takes my mom out and I baby sit. My Dad said, that because of his busy schedule, I would have to invite the kids. He also said that I would have to help mom get the house ready.

I asked my friends Mike and Stephanie if they would like to come to my home the next Tuesday for a youth cell. I explained that we would have a snack, play games, and have a Bible study. They said that it sounded like fun and they would come. They asked some of their friends if they would like to come too.

When Tuesday came I helped my mom get the house ready. I cleaned up and she made brownies. She asked me how many kids were coming and I didn’t know! I was kind of scared and wondered if anybody would show up. Seven kids joined us and I was really excited. I think my Dad was surprised as well.

We played some really fun games and my Dad did a couple of ice breakers so everybody could get to know each other. My friends ate all of my mom’s brownies.

After everybody left I felt really happy that all my friends came. Before I went to bed I gave my dad a kiss and told him thanks for doing it for me.

The next day I asked my friends if they liked it and if they would come back again the next week. They all said that they would and promised to invite some of their friends.

The next week they all came back and brought friends. Within four weeks there were about 20 kids coming every Tuesday night! That was weeks ago. Now I don’t have to remind the kids about youth cell. They just keep showing up at our house on Tuesday night.

A lot of neat things are happening in my friends’ lives. Many of my friends were smoking cigarettes and marijuana and drinking before they started coming to cell. But God is changing their lives. I pray that all my friends will get saved.

In cell one night, five of my friends got saved. Everybody was crying as we all held hands. My friends prayed to receive Christ. My dad told them that accepting Christ was just the beginning. It was the first step. Now they have to live their lives for Him. Most of my friends are Christians now and the others come to church with me on Sunday mornings.

A few weeks ago, we loaded up three van loads full of my friends and took them to church on Sunday morning. We all sat in the middle of the church on the front row. I think everybody wondered where all these teenagers came from. My friends all thought the church was really cool. (My Dad took us out for pizza afterwards).

Many of my friend’s parents are divorced or don’t get along very well. Some of my friends have been abused by family members. So they like to hang out at my house. My mom and dad always let my friends eat with us. And almost every weekend I have friends spend the night. My church has bought all of the kids in our cell Bibles for Christmas because most of the kids don’t have one.

I’m happy that I started this youth cell. I now have Christian friends in my own neighborhood to hang out with. I know it’s a lot of work for my mom and dad. I am very happy that they have helped me reach my friends for Christ.

I think that every Christian teenager that doesn’t have Christian friends in their neighborhood should start a youth cell. I know that the kids will come and get saved. All you have to do is ask your mom and dad to let them come. Then, if they say yes, invite some of your friends, and have them invite some of their friends. Then pray for your friends to accept Christ. It’s simple.

THE ABOVE MATERIAL WAS PUBLISHED BY TOUCH OUTREACH MINISTRIES, 2000, PAGES 175-177.

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