General Information

Please note that the name of my blog is "reach the children by hook and by crook" and not "reach the children by hook or by crook" . The reason is that you cannot be a fisherman or a shepherd when you work with children, no, you have to be a fisherman and a shepherd at the same time. When you talk to children and people about the Gospel, you have to give the unsaved person an opportunity to get caught (by hook) and you give the saved person an opportunity to grow spiritually or get guidance (by crook).

Background: My name is Petro du Plessis.  When I was 7 years old, my one desire was to become a teacher one day and teach children.  I was trained at Denneoord Training College in Stellenbosch and I could teach primary school children.  I specialized in teaching “Kindergarden” children Gr. 1-3.
After I married my husband, a pastor, it was my privilege to have a ministry among the children in all our congregations for 21 years. We have 5 children and they were part of my ministry!

In 1989 somebody suggested that I take the Child Evangelism Fellowship Course in Switzerland to enrich my ministry.  My husband and I attended the 3 month course in 1989 and what a blessing!  I realized that the methods were very effective.  With CEF’s methods, the Lord taught me:

·         how to teach Bible Truths to children in the right way

·         how to teach Bible lessons in stead of Bible stories

·         how to lead children to the Lord with the Wordless book

·         how to help children to memorize Bible verses

·         how to revise Bible lessons and many more

I am retired now and want to share what I learned about reaching children with the Gospel of Christ. We need to be like fishers to show the unsaved children the way to a saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (by hook) and by taking care and feeding the saved children like a shepherd with his crook, helping them to grow spiritually. (Mr. Sam Doherty, our one teacher at the CEF Institute in Switzerland said:  “As a children’s worker your task is to reach the children “By hook or by crook”!)

My prayer is that this blog – “Reach the children by hook and by crook” will help people to reach children more effectively and help us to fulfill the command of Christ in  Matt. 28:19: “ go and make disciples of all the nations... and teach them to obey everything...”   

Agtergrond:  My naam is Petro du Plessis.  Toe ek 7 jaar oud was, was dit my begeerte om eendag ‘n onderwyseres te wees om vir kinders te onderrig.  Ek het opleiding gekry by Denneoord Opleidingskollege in Stellenbosch om onderwys te kan gee veral aan die kind gedurende sy eerste jare in die skool.

Nadat ek getroud is met ‘n predikant, was dit my voorreg om vir 21 jaar betrokke te wees by die kinderbedieninge in al ons gemeentes. Ons het 5 kinders en hul was deel van die bediening!

Toe ek en my man  in 1989 die Child Evangelism Fellowship Kursus in Switserland deurloop het, het ek besef dat hul  metodes baie doeltreffend was!  Met CEF se metodes, het die Here my geleer:

·         hoe om die Bybelwaarhede aan kinders oor te dra op die regte manier 

·         hoe om van ‘n Bybelstorie ‘n Bybelles te maak

·         hoe om kinders na die Here te lei met die Woordlose boekie

·         hoe om vir kinders te help om Bybelverse te memoriseer                      

·         hoe om Bybellesse te hersien en vele meer

Ek het nou afgetree en wil graag deel wat ek geleer het oor hoe om kinders te bereik met die Evangelieboodskap van Jesus Christus. Ons taak is om vissers van mense (kinders) te wees en vir ongeredde kinders die Weg na die Here Jesus Christus te wys en vir die geredde kinders te versorg en voed soos ‘n herder sy skape voed en oppas en help groei. (Mnr. Sam Doherty was een van ons leermeesters by die CEF instituut in Switserland en hy het gesê: “As kinderwerker is dit jou taak om kinders te bereik “by hook or by crook”

My gebed is dat hierdie “blog” – “reach the children by hook and by crook” vir baie sal help om meer effektief kinders te bereik en die groot opdrag van Jesus in Matt. 28:19 uit te voer:  “Gaan dan na al die nasies toe en maak die mense my dissipels... en leer hulle om alles te onderhou...”