Testimony of a Children’s Sunday School teacher – by Jasmine Andrews

June 29, 2016 by Nina Gervase

My Name is Jasmine Andrews and I thank God and our church leaders for providing me an
opportunity to shared with you my testimony. I serve as one of the small group leaders for
the 5th grade Sunday class here at our church. We have been attending Genesis for the past
14 years since we moved to North Carolina. Genesis is the second church next to my
childhood church at India where I have spent most of my life. (more specifically, most of my
life after marriage, 14 out of 16 years) For my two younger kids, Genesis is their first
church since their birth.
Recently, I found my autograph book where my high school friends and teachers signed
their farewell wishes. I noticed the entry “Dear Jasmine, Try your best and God will do the
rest. Pray and give thanks to the Lord always” which was signed by me. I read it to my
teenage daughter. Though she nodded, she gave me a look “Really did you do this”. I
wanted to feel a little embarrassed. I was trying to recall my memories as a senior at high
school and how I wrote this line as an autograph to myself. I started to think with thankful
thoughts about my childhood Sunday school/VBS teachers who had dedicated their time
and talents. They made a great impact on me and my desire to know more about Christ and
be closer to him. Ecclesiastes 12:1 states “remember your Creator in the days of your
youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find
no pleasure in them” ”.

After my marriage I moved from my home country India to the US with my husband. As a
young lady it is not easy leaving your parents, sweet home and close friends, flying to an
unknown country/continent and starting a brand new life. When the demands and
expectations of us became overwhelming and we missed our close friends or parents or
mentors, the one thing I turned to was Jesus and the Bible. I felt blessed to know my
wonderful childhood Sunday school teachers with whom I still have contact. My motivation
and inspiration to give back when it`s my turn started from them.

Serving in the church is an honor and anything we can do to help spread the word and the
work of Jesus is not just an honor but also a privilege. Though I am part of a busy family
with 3 young kids and a hectic schedule at work leading an engineering team,
through Christ who strengthened me, I started serving as a Sunday class teacher several
years ago here at Genesis.
Years later, we decided to follow the Orange curriculum 252 Basics which it was a giant step
forward for us and I am really happy we did it. It`s a Sunday school curriculum strategy
that’s focuses on 4 stages of life, 2 influences and 1 end in mind. For children that helps
equate faith with having a modern mind. 252 Basics is based on one of three basic, but
powerful, truths modeled by Jesus in Luke 2:52.( “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in
favor with God and men”) We want every child to know and understand these three basic,
but powerful, truths modeled by Jesus: I need to make the wise choice (wisdom); I can trust
God no matter what (faith); and I should treat others the way I want to be treated
(friendship). All 252 Basics lessons focus on at least one of the three basic concept areas
from this verse to help kids grow in wisdom, faith and friendship. Our curriculum is
designed to provoke discovery and invite kids into a new understanding of how to grow in
relationship with Jesus. It is a gift that God led us to this curriculum as our children benefit
greatly from it.
It also builds on a child’s experience of community by creating opportunities for life-change
through small groups, with consistent leaders who will engage children to trust God’s
character and live out God’s story. I have grown with my current group of kids since their
2nd grade; they are currently graduating from 5th grade. It is a great blessing for me to teach
and nurture these smart and wonderful kids and I believe they are going to be great leaders
of Christ, considering the uncertainty in this world.

Every month presents a new Life Application to help children discover more about God’s
character. Each Life App is unpacked through a weekly bottom line—a short phrase so easy
to remember that it can be reinforced at home throughout the week. This is the awesome
part of the program. I wish adults were also utilizing these resources as I noticed how it
transformed me to be a better christian, mother, wife, friend, co-worker, and team lead.

I want to share an event that happened at my work recently. I was part of a team of
engineers working to deliver a project with a tight schedule. It needed cross functional
team effort and coordination. When things were getting a little tough, God provided me an
opportunity to step up to manage the team. With a tight schedule and limited time to
deliver things comes chaos and frustration, and I could feel that so badly. That month, the
Sunday class theme was “Perseverance”, and that particular weekend the bottom line was
“Keep calm and help others have perseverance. Perseverance can often be contagious—
apersevering attitude can rub off on others and encourage them to keep going. You keep on
doing what is right and make wise choices in the midst of an unpleasant situation.” During
my team meeting I spoke about the perseverance attitude and how we could together and
get thru the storm, in and out, soaring like the eagle. The memory verse of the month was
from Isaiah 40:31, “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will
soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be
faint.” The team greatly welcomed that thought and persevered through the challenges to
end it successfully. That is a great lesson for me as well as a leader.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in
your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”

Growing in faith takes time and effort, regardless of age. He leads me to better serve Him
with a humble heart with the abilities He has given me. I want to encourage you to connect
Him to His people. Serving as a Sunday class leader at our church has provided me an
opportunity to teach and practice the faith, moving me from a very ordinary girl to a grace-
filled, life-giving woman of God. I pray that God will bless and lead us more so that you may
continue being a blessing to others. Thank you!