GPH honored for outstanding children’s resources
By Dan Van Veen and Tara Kersten
Two resources from Gospel Publishing House, the publishing arm of the Assemblies of God, were selected by Outreach magazine as among the very elite when they were named winners in the sixth annual Outreach Resources of the Year competition.
MEGA Sports Camp: Game Plan and Welcome to Holsom: Adventures in Faith were selected as two of three Children’s Outreach winners.
According to GPH National Director JT Wray, GPH submitted three children’s outreach resources to the magazine. All three made it into the “top nine” final selection, with two being chosen as the category’s elite.
“I believe the recognition will encourage churches to try these great outreach tools as well as help identify GPH as a leader in quality children’s outreach materials,” says Wray. “It’s also inspiring for our team members to be recognized for the hard work they have put into the development of these products.”
This isn’t the first honor for MEGA Sports Camp. It was previously named Outreach Resource of the Year in 2005.
Evaluator Angie Meus states that MEGA Sports Camp creates “an awesome opportunity for churches.” She says the camp features the right combination of competition, skill-development, biblical teachings and life skills to keep kids engaged.
The second winner, Welcome to Holsom: Adventures in Faith, was developed primarily as a discipleship tool for preteens. To put it to the test, Meus says she gave it to the boys. “They wanted to read the action- and suspense-filled comic until the end, not stopping at the section breaks,” she shares. Meus says she also came away impressed by the godly examples and lessons woven into this adventure.
The central character of Adventures in Faith is Hugh, an average kid who is saved early in the story. By following Hugh’s struggles as a new Christian, kids learn about witnessing, peer pressure, baptism and other discipleship issues.
“By presenting topics via a comic book, we felt we had a unique and powerful vehicle for communicating,” says Craig Schutt, who helped write and develop the comic. “Instead of teaching kids in a didactic manner common with most curriculums, Adventures in Faith uses story and character to get its message across.”
“It is great for the postmodern generation who seeks narrative and experience to explain life and spirituality,” notes user Tracy Allen.
“Our greatest desire is to develop products that ‘work’ in today’s culture,” Wray explains. “The Outreach awards are an indication that we’re headed in the right direction.”
To learn more about Welcome to Holsom, MEGA Sports Camp and other GPH products, visit www.gph.org or stop by the General Council Bookstore.