Kids learn about family, missions in Wild West setting

Jul 1, 2003
KELLY DAVIS
Baptist Press

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PHOENIX (BP)—A “Frontiers of Faith” children’s conference held in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Phoenix paralleled the SBC’s Kingdom family focus by teaching children to honor their parents and love their brothers and sisters.

Brian Denton and his four brothers, David, Michael, Christopher and Mark, led 200 children in a kids camp with a “Wild West” theme, with cowboys, town sheriffs and talking horses utilizing songs, verses, games and skits to present object lessons centered around the Ten Commandments.

“The Ten Commandments represent the lawlessness that exists in our hearts without the love of Christ,” Brian Denton noted.

“By presenting the Ten Commandments in a unique and memorable way, we believe that children will have a greater understanding of the justice of God, and ultimately the great love of God,” he said.

Each commandment presented during the conference had a practical lesson that the children could apply to their lives, “whether honoring parents, loving their brothers and sisters, telling the truth, and not wanting other people’s possessions,” Denton said.

Michael Denton tells a story to one of several groups making up the first-ever Children's Conference during pre-Southern Baptist Convention events, as well as during the SBC annual meeting, June 16-18. Denton is part of the five-brother Denton Brothers Ministries, which focuses on bringing families together to minister in their community and world. The Children's Conference met in the Phoenix Civic Center, site of the SBC annual meeting.

The Denton Brothers also focused the children’s attention on missions by using crafts time to make a blanket to send to a children’s orphanage in India. Toward the end of the conference, the children gave an offering to help the orphanage in India in buying a new school bus.

“This week, I had a small boy tell me he had been saving money all year to give to a special mission project and he is going to give his money to the orphanage in India,” Denton recounted.

“We taught the lesson about the rich young ruler who came to Christ, and Christ told him that he must obey two commandments. First, he must love the Lord our God with all his heart. Then, he must love his neighbor as himself,” Denton explained. “We are teaching that globally everyone is our neighbor and we must learn to give of ourselves by giving our money and time.”

Denton said he his brothers believe the call of the Great Commission must be taught “no matter” what a child’s age.

The children’s conference was open to children ages 6-12 whose parents are attending the Southern Baptist Convention.

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