Usually a backyard is where tattered, discarded, and forgotten possessions are placed. We keep these things behind the house to remove the eyesore in our homes. Similarly, some of our youth today have been deemed unimportant just like the things that have been thrown at our backyards.
But there is a backyard where one is revived, restored, and rebuilt. This is in God’s Big Backyard (GBB). This ministry’s mission is based on Isaiah 61. Verse 1b to 2a say: “to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
In July 2009, a group of professionals, housewives, and students from Victory Christian Fellowship were invited to partner with the Marillac Ministry ladies of Lighthouse Christian Community and Church of God’s Miracle headed by Ms. Christine Kairuz. After that event, the children wanted to hear more about the Word and Bible stories; thus the ministry was born. Our name just came about when the children would call our group of volunteers as “God’s Big Backyard” since this was the theme of the VBS that they had learned previously. Since then, we have regularly discipled abused girls and juvenile delinquents from Marillac Hills.
In 2014, Acero Compound opened their doors to us. At present, we minister to the youth from this low-income community twice a month.
Our aim for these children is for them to know and experience God’s love– a love that tells them that they are always remembered, valuable, and owned by God. We feel so privileged to be able to witness sudden light bulb moments as they understand the hope they have in Jesus, or when they sing a worship song with all their hearts. It is like watching a TV series where Jesus shows you bit by bit how He transforms lives.
God is continually expanding our tents as another door has opened to us in a new community. We are hoping to engage new disciples through our yearly VBS programs in these communities. Our theme this year is called “KINGDOM ROCK: Where kids stand strong for God.” Please pray with us for these events to touch more lives of children.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GodsBigBackyard.GBB/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGoIGugmAmjomxCSFVkY5vQ
