KA! JAM: Building a foundation of faith

Kids Alive! Deputy Editor Ibukun Baku explains how KA! JAM is nurturing hundreds of young disciples.

What is KA! JAM?

KA! JAM (Kids Alive! Jesus and Me) is a cool Bible study club that helps young people to get to know Jesus. Children from any denomination, between the ages of 7 and 17, can join, as well as adults with additional needs.

How does KA! JAM work?

It guides people through two courses: Mark’s Man, about the Book of Mark, and Action Men, about Acts. There’s a quarterly newsletter and magazine called Chatterbox, which includes a Bible story. When people sign up, they receive a welcome pack with the first activity sheet. When they complete it, they send it to me. I mark it and return it with the next sheet.

What activities are there?

There are puzzles, quizzes about what happens, word searches and opportunities to be creative. For the story of Levi, for example, who was a tax collector before Jesus called him to follow him and changed his life, people can draw a situation where someone has been left out but then been changed because they have been shown love.

What kind of marks do you give?

I put ticks and say well done for the right answers and help them with any wrong answers. I always want them to go away with a lesson from the Bible passage, so I summarise it with an action they can apply to their lives – this is what Jesus would say or do.

How long does it take to complete?

People can go at their pace, so that could be years! When they finish, they get a letter from the territorial leaders and a Bible. At that point, they can continue receiving Chatterbox or move on. The last person who did that had just started university!

How has KA! JAM changed over the years?

It started as the postal Sunday school a long time ago, before becoming KA! JAM and part of Kids Alive!. I joined as KA! JAM coordinator in 2013. We’ve changed how we present things and started exploring ways to make it available online – you can download the sheets as editable PDFs.

How many people are in KA! JAM?

There are currently about 350 members! Every few years I send a letter to people I haven’t heard from recently but, even when I don’t hear from someone, that doesn’t mean God isn’t blessing them by receiving Chatterbox – it could be the thing that gives them a bit of encouragement or hope. 1 Corinthians 3:6 says: ‘I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.’ Everything we do is a seed – we trust God to water it and make it grow as he knows best.

To have a child reach out to you to say they want to know about Jesus is amazing.

Why is KA! JAM important?

It’s being faithful to Jesus in making disciples. Children and young people are an important part of God’s family. We want to give them the best foundation possible in a world where there are so many messages – they need to have the truth that they are known, loved and seen by God.

Why do you do what you do?

Because I know who Jesus is, and what Jesus has done for me, and I know his heart for the world. This gives other people the opportunity to experience Jesus for themselves.

What have you learnt from KA! JAM?

More and more I’m understanding what a privilege it is to be in such a position. To have a child reach out to you to say they want to know about Jesus is amazing. Being a part of that journey is a privilege.

What’s the most exciting thing about KA! JAM?

Receiving people’s work, particularly when you form a good relationship with someone. They share things like ‘I was baptised!’ or ‘I played the organ at church!’ and it’s exciting to see their faith growing. I would love to hear one day of a former member who could look back and be helped by something that had gone into their heart through KA! JAM!

What can people pray for KA! JAM?

Pray for every member that the Holy Spirit will continue to be at work to bring about a personal encounter with Jesus. Pray for all children and young people, that their hearts will be open to the good news. And thank God for his faithfulness and for what he’s doing – that, even in a world where there’s so much going on, God is still drawing children to him.